Silent All These Years
by Mistress of the Arts
Summary: Trapped in a world not their own Ed and Al have spent two years journeying together. Upon encountering Elora and Archer they discover a journey to go home. Friendship, love, memories, sacrifice and tragedy await on the other side. Will love conquer? Al/OC
1. Chapter 1

**ETP: Hello my faithful and new readers, and welcome to my very first FMA fanfic!**

**XpkfireX: Hai!!**

**ETP: This is my friend, whom is a huge FMA fanatic, and he's written a few original stories with me, though he doesn't write fanfiction. He'll be providing ideas and the whatnot and assisting me, along with my usual help from my beta, Divine Child.**

**DC: Uh, hi? O_O**

**ETP: So please be kind, leave us a review, and don't flame!**

**Disclaimer: Full Metal Alchemist doesn't belong to us, the only thing belonging to us is our OCs and this idea. Takes place after Full Metal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa.**

* * *

Chapter I

For Which Was Once Lost Now Returns

For two years the Elric brothers had evaded the remnants of war. It had also been two very long years of being in a world not their own, together at last, yet separated from their world and the people who still loved and cared for them. Traveling together, hunting down pieces of Shamballa and alchemy that would shatter the frail balance of this new world, the two brothers worked together and traveled for many days and nights.

Their current location was some part of England, cutting across farm land and through villages, hearing the distant rumors of the motions of war that was rumored to occur. The morning sun rose above the green hills, awaking them with its rather warm rays instead of the usual morning rain shower, and Edward sat up slowly.

Al yawned and stretched, having enjoyed a good night's rest on the lush grass, before his brown gaze looked over at his elder brother. He was quite surprised to find the faint blush spread across Edward's face.

"Brother? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Al." Edward said quickly, "Just had a dream is all…"

Al smirked, recognizing the tone of voice. "Was Winry in it?"

"NO!"

The quick denial proved Al's suspicions correct. Chuckling, the younger brother stood up, dusting off his pants before holding a hand out to Edward, who was still blushing and trying to hide it. Edward grasped his brother's hand with his metal one, being pulled up to his feet, before the two stretched and began to make their way toward the village a few miles away.

"Tell me about the dream, Brother!"

Edward cringed and blushed even worse than he already was, if it was even possible.

"No way, Al!"

"Aw, think I can't handle it?" Al continued to tease. He started to pucker his lips and make kissing noises at the blond. "Was there kissing in it?"

"AL!"

Al laughed and took off, Edward having lost his temper and started to chase him, incoherently yelling after him in embarrassment. Al laughed, loving the rise he got out of Edward whenever it come the blond's obvious feelings for the mechanic. The laughter soon died, however, as he recalled how much it was obviously hurting Edward to be so far away from Winry, trapped in another world.

He couldn't understand Edward's pain, not completely anyway, for the young adolescent of almost sixteen had never been in love before. Sure he had his crushes here and there on their travels, even kissed a few girls before departing, but Al had never ever fallen in love with anyone like Edward had fallen for Winry.

"What's wrong?"

They came to a stop, Edward's expression changing drastically upon the sight of the sadness flickering in Al's eyes. His left hand gripped Al's shoulder for a moment.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's nothing."

"Want to hitch a ride into town then and get ourselves back to civilization?" Edward suggested with a grin, closing his eyes.

Giving a nod, they two brothers walked beside each other, walking alongside the dirt road, occasionally trying to hitch-hike and get a ride into town. About ten minutes later, a truck slowed down.

"You boys need a ride?"

"Just to the nearest village," Edward replied with a grin.

"Climb in the back."

Edward and Al hopped into the bed of the truck, feeling how bumpy the road was as they rode down it, gripping the sides so not to bounce out. They arrived in the town, the villagers gazing at them for a split second, before proceeding to ignore them as if they weren't even there. The truck stalled near the market, Edward thanking the man, and the brothers hopped out of the truck, which drove off.

"Let's get something to eat, I'm starving." Edward suggested.

Al nodded and they headed for the food section of the small market. While Edward picked up and inspected fruit, Al looked around, brown eyes noticing two teenagers standing a few feet away, but he couldn't see their faces.

"You know, that dream got me thinking…" Edward began, after he paid for two apples, and tossed one at Al. "Do you think Winry's still waiting for us to find a way back home?"

"I'm not sure, probably." Al replied with a smile. "During the time we were separated, and I didn't have any of my memories, I spent a great deal of time with her. You were all she talked about and thought about…"

Edward clapped his hands together, grounding his teeth. "I want to go back so badly now! I wish we still had our alchemy!"

"Dream on, Brother." Al said with a small smile. "We're stuck here and we should just live to make the most of it."

"Guess you're right, Al…" Edward sighed. "Let's go stay at that inn for the night."

Unbeknownst to the Elric brothers, gray and amethyst eyes watched their every move.

* * *

The cold chill of night brushed against Edward's face as he led his younger brother through the lonely town in which they had found themselves in. The ground sunk beneath their feet as they approached the rundown inn. They entered the reception area, and while Al handled the room arrangements, Edward looked around. The area seemed normal, safe. Glancing out a nearby window, he noticed two suspicious figures fifty or so feet away from the inn.

"You coming, Brother?"

"Yes,"

The two scurried to their room at once. They opened the door to the musty room, seeing it held two beds with a simple bedside table inbetween. A door to the bathroom was ajar slightly, revealing the porcelain tub. While Al sunk down on the edge of one of the beds and slipped off his shoes, Edward moved to glance out the lone window, drawing back the curtain.

"They're gone…"

"Who is, Brother?"

Edward glanced over his shoulder, "No one, Al." he reassured him.

"Okay then… if you say so."

Al had started to rub his feet, which had ached from how much they had traveled the past few days. Edward's eyes darkened slightly upon the sight of the dried blood on the bottom of one of Al's socks.

"Blister busted, huh?"

"Yeah," Al winced, "I'll live."

"I'll go see if I can scrounge up some bandages in the bathroom."

Edward went to rummage through the medicine cabinet, hearing a knock on the door. Too busy to go and see who it was, Edward heard Al answer the door.

"Oh, um, hi there."

Edward made a face as he closed the mirror, recognizing that tone. Sure enough, a young girl around Al's age was on the other side, and Al was blushing faintly and rubbing the back of his neck as he let her inside. He was always a sucker for a pretty face, as Edward had learned. Edward stepped back into the room, tossing the bandages on Al's bed for him to use later, and he observed the girl.

She was subtly pretty, at least in Edward's eyes. Her chestnut locks fell a little passed her shoulders straightly, framing her tawny face, and her bangs fell right above her eyes, lined with her fine eyebrows. Her eyes were a startling blending of purple and blue, almost an amethyst shade. She was dressed nicely in a pair of black leather traveling boots, white tights, khaki shorts, a blue tank, and an elbow-length unbuttoned white blouse over it.

"Sorry to bother you," she said in a sweet tone of voice, "I was just wondering if you would let me know any of the news you heard on your way here."

Gold eyes locked on her, and Edward felt a strange chill down his spine, warning him to be on his guard.

"What kind of news?" Edward demanded before Al could speak.

Her peach-colored lips formed a smirk, "Why… about alchemy of course!"

Her tone changed drastically, going from sweet to cold and vicious within a matter of seconds. Suddenly she stepped in front of the door, blocking the exit as the window opened and in flipped a boy.

His reddish-brown hair fell just to his shoulders in layers, bangs hanging directly above his eyes, which were behind a pair of glasses and several shades of gray, almost swirling. He was fair-skinned and his facial features reminded Edward and Al of someone in their past. He was clad in khaki pants with brown shoes, a white dress shirt with a black button-down vest, brown and black gloves, and a thick brown trench coat with fur lining.

"I saw you two in the market! And outside the inn early tonight!"

"That isn't important!" the girl hissed, "How is it you know of alchemy! Alchemy's existence is a secret, and alchemists have come and gone, the few remaining living in hiding!"

Edward looked between them, "But that's impossible! Alchemy doesn't exist in this world!"

"Of course it does! It's just harder to use in this world and requires secrets! Secrets that you better tell us how you know about alchemy's true existence! How do you know of it?!"

"Because we're alchemists, dammit!" Edward exclaimed.

The girl's eyes widened, "There's no way! Unless…" Her breathing trembled in disbelief, "Unless you're from… Shamballa…"

"How do you know about Shamballa?!"

Edward was the one asking the questions now. He backed the girl against the door, her hand grasping the rusty doorknob, and his hands pressed on either side of her head as he got nose-to-nose with her, gold eyes staring intensely into hers. Her cheeks turned red at the abrupt closeness.

"Because that is where I was born and raised,"

The alchemist turned to look at the boy, whose voice was soft-spoken.

"My name is Archer Bathory, and this is my companion, Elora Belvidere. We're alchemists, much like yourselves."

Al finally managed to find his voice, "But that's impossible!"

Archer glanced at him, "Impossible?"

Pulling back the glove on his right hand, Archer revealed a transmutation circle tattooed to the back of his hand in crimson. He snapped his fingers, and immediately a small burst of flames appeared in his hand, dancing across his palm and knuckles. The flames licked and teased the skin, yet did not burn it.

"A flame alchemist…" Edward whispered before he exclaimed, "Roy Mustang!"

Archer stiffened, "What of him?"

"Your alchemy and you look kind of like him." Al replied before he exclaimed, "Wait, you know of him?!"

Elora quickly diverted the subject, "Bad things are occurring because of people using alchemy in this world. Archer and I have been traveling to stop these people, along with trying to find keys to our journey. If you're from Shamballa, surely you're trapped here like Archer is…"

"Yeah… we are." Edward finally backed away from her, adding some distance between them.

"Don't you want to go home…?"

"Of course we do, but we can't."

Elora and Archer exchanged a look, "You can." Elora said.

"What?" Al whispered.

"Help us," Archer whispered. "We'll teach you the secrets so you can use alchemy here in this world, but you must help us."

"Why?" Edward demanded.

"Because you don't belong here anymore than Archer does." Elora replied softly. "I want Archer to finally go home and remember his life…"

"You two see close, wouldn't it devastate you to send him away?"

"Of course it would; Archer's my very best friend. Which is why I've chosen the path that will take me to Shamballa as well."

Edward's face reddened in slight anger, "What about your life here?! What about your family?!"

Elora's eyes flickered, "My family was killed last year! And my foster father doesn't care about anything other than his political position! He doesn't show an ounce of care of interest when it comes to his daughter or me! He still isn't aware of the fact I've been traveling for the past four months with Archer and thinks I'm still at that damn Polish boarding school he shipped me off to!"

Obviously the subject of her family was very touchy. Before Edward could cause anymore offense, Al gave an apologetic smile.

"You'll have to excuse him; sometimes he speaks before he thinks."

Archer smiled and replied, "Elora's the same way."

Al glanced at his sibling, "Brother… do you want to go back that badly?"

"More than anything, Al…"

Edward's thoughts went straight to Winry. If they could get back to Shamballa, then he could actually hear her voice, see her pretty face, stare into her eyes, and maybe finally tell her how he really felt…

That was all the motivation he needed.

Edward looked between them, "You want our help to find a way back to Shamballa without opening a sacrificial gate. What would we have to do?"

"Simple,"

They glanced at Archer, the one who seemed to hold most of the answers.

"We have to find a philosopher's stone."

* * *

**ETP: And thus concludes the first chapter!**

**PK: So please, send us some feedback on it!**

**ETP: And let us know how quickly you want the next chapter! Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**ETP: So we are very proud of the feedback we received from the first chapter. The minor mistakes pointed out were helpful. Thanks so much!**

**PK: So now we're going to begin the second chapter.**

**ETP: The intro was written by PK but since he got stuck, I'm taking over. So please enjoy and review!**

**Disclaimer: Full Metal Alchemist doesn't belong to us, the only thing belonging to us is our OCs and this idea. Takes place after Full Metal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa.**

* * *

Chapter II

Of Sacrifices and Desire

"Forget it."

Edward began to push his guests towards the door and gave them a scowl of disgust.

"What's wrong?" Archer asked as he resisted against Edward's forceful push and refused to go outside the dank room.

"I'm not dealing with that shit again! Al, come on, if they're not leaving, we are."

Edward gave a glare at Elora and Archer as he stepped out into the looming darkness. The look of frustration and disappointment shined across his face. He turned, expecting to find his brother following behind him, but was shocked to find him chatting with the strangers, still inside the inn.

"Please forgive him, he's a bit hot tempered when it comes to the philosopher's stone." Al flashed a smile. "We've… had quite a past…" Al averted his gaze and lowered his head, hands slipping into his pockets.

Elora's amethyst eyes shimmered with sympathy, recognizing the sorrow that crossed Al's eyes as obvious haunting memories crossed his thoughts.

Archer pressed the subject, "Why is he so reluctant to use a philosopher's stone?"

Al hesitated his speech, not sure whether or not these people that stood before him were informed of the circumstances to forging such a stone.

"Because of… the… human sacrifices involved to make one."

Al's face became etched in darkness, and for the first time since Archer and Elora had met the sibling duo, Al's disposition was not cheery. He recited the last words with a cold and harsh tone, a dark stare came from his eyes.

Elora let off a light scoff, "Human…. sacrifice? Who've you been talking too?"

Al stared at her, unable to comprehend what she had just said.

"You have to have human sacrifice in order to create it!" Al exclaimed.

Archer shook his head, "There are other methods."

"Other methods my ass." Edward had rejoined the group, "Al and I spent almost half our lives looking for that thing, and after all the hardships, all the suffering, human sacrifice was the only way. Don't kid yourselves."

Archer narrowed his eyes on him, "If you don't recall, young mister Elric, this isn't Shamballa. Other resources lie within this world."

Edward stared at Archer, wide eyed.

Who was this kid? If he lost his memories, how was he so knowledgeable in alchemy? Hell, how did he even have alchemy?

"Fine, please elaborate on these, 'other resources'." Edward spat.

Elora crossed her arms, leaning against the wall and propping one boot up as she looked at the two brothers. Archer remained standing beside her, his gray eyes inquiring if she was going to be the one to answer, and she gave a slight nod. Al and Edward listened closely.

"You are correct when you say that sacrifice is required. However, unlike with Shamballa, the sacrifice of one's soul is required here."

"One's… soul?"

Immediately Edward didn't like the sound of this.

"If it's your souls you're worried about, don't." Elora said a little firmly. "I've already put my soul on the line for Archer's sake. What are two more people?"

Once again Edward's temper flared, "Don't you dare say something stupid like that!"

Elora gritted her teeth, "What I do with my own soul is my own business, Edward!"

"Then don't do something stupid and naïve with it! Living without a soul isn't even living at all! You'll become an empty shell, or worse, a Homunculus!"

"You're the one whose naïve!" Elora said hotly. "For your information, I know what its like to live without a portion of your soul! How do you think I'm able to do alchemy? I bonded myself to Archer and sacrificed a portion of my soul!"

"Bonded yourself? How'd you do that?" Al asked curiously.

"Blood exchange," Archer said softly.

Edward took a step back, "You two are mental cases."

Elora sent him a disgusted glare, "Don't judge us before getting to know us."

"How do we even know you're not lying about all of this?" Edward spat at the young girl. "I haven't seen you perform any alchemy!"

"Shall I demonstrate by kicking his ass?" Elora snarled at Archer.

Archer shook his head, "Just demonstrate carefully."

Rolling her eyes and giving a sigh of mild disappointment, the brunette uncrossed her arms. In the dim light, the two brothers could see the same transmutation circle tattooed to her left wrist in green before she clapped her hands together. Edward and Al released a cry of surprise as a strong wind swirled around them, making their clothes rustle and their hair was teased.

"Wind alchemy?"

"Very dangerous, especially when she's angered." Archer smirked a little.

"So… if we want our alchemy back… we'll need to do a blood exchange and sacrifice a portion of our souls?" Al asked slowly.

Archer paused and said, "Half-correct. You'll have to perform the blood exchange with me, but you won't have to sacrifice any portion of your soul. Elora only had to because she was born in this world and not Shamballa."

Edward's gold eyes narrowed slightly, "If you claim to have no memories, how is it you remember alchemy?"

"I cannot remember my past life, but I always possessed alchemy. I recognized it from past books on it, it's completely comprehendible to me. You know that alchemy once existed in this world, but science was produced here and alchemy was soon lost."

"So alchemy does exist here… its true existence being secret?" Al clarified.

Elora smiled at him shyly, "Yes, Alphonse. That's what I was trying to explain earlier, until your rude brother flew off the handle."

Edward sent her a look of irritancy. Before he could open his mouth and another argument arose, Archer stepped in.

"Back to the key importance here…" he cleared his throat, "The philosopher's stone. We'll need to create one."

"No way," Edward said firmly. "Do what you want but leave Al and me outta it."

Al sent him a dejected look, "But Brother…"

Edward gave Al a look if disbelief in return, "Al, think! Do you seriously want Elora to sacrifice the rest of her soul?"

"Sounds like you give a damn." Elora snorted, "Shocking."

"I care about the well-being of others," Edward glared. "And that includes bratty little girls."

Elora was about to blast him with a whirlwind when Archer held his arm out in warning. She shrunk back against the corridor wall, eyes closing and arms crossing over her chest in an obvious pout. The auburn-haired boy glanced at Edward slowly from behind his glasses.

"We'll need to gather various elements as well… we'll need your assistance with this task."

"Do it yourself." Edward said firmly.

Archer closed his eyes and sighed, "Very well then. You can remain in this world, a place you truly don't belong. I'm assuming you have no one who cares for you back home from your reluctance to attempt to go back there." He turned on his heel, "Come along, Elora. We have a lot of traveling to do tonight."

Elora sent a small glare at Edward, and then a saddened glance at Al, before she went to follow Archer. Their footsteps creaked against the old floorboards as the two brothers remained in the darkened hallway. Al's face was one etched in disappointment as he watched the two alchemists depart, Edward staring at his boots with his fists clenched at his side.

"…Wait!"

Archer froze at the top of the steps, a whisper of a smirk on his lips before he glanced over his shoulder.

"Yes, Ed?"

Edward avoided their gaze, "We'll come with you… but if you two do anything that Al and I don't like then we're leaving you without a second thought!"

"Ah, I see." Archer smiled as he closed his eyes, "Giving us enough rope to hang ourselves with, are you?"

Edward crossed his arms and replied, "I guess you could say that."

Elora looked half-excited, half-disappointed that the Elric brothers had agreed to help them. She whirled around, arms crossed behind her back as she looked at the two of them. Al was smiling softly at her, brown eyes shyly looking at her from under his lashes.

"So do we want to leave tonight or get some rest?"

"Rest!" Edward immediately headed back into their room. "Come on, Al! We actually get to sleep on beds tonight!"

Al gave a shy wave before darting into the room behind his brother. Edward went to close the door, pausing as he saw Archer standing in front of it.

"We shall see you tomorrow morning and head east."

"Alright,"

Giving a nod of comprehension, Edward closed the door, leaving Archer and Elora in the darkened hallway. As the two brothers prepared for a good night's rest, the two companions met each others gaze in the hallway.

"What do you feel when it comes to them?" Archer whispered.

"I feel… confusion." Elora replied just as softly. "They are good people… they've lost far more than they've deserved. Equivalent Exchange wasn't very equivalent it seems."

Archer nodded in agreement, "This should be very interesting, Elora."

Elora paused and said, "When the time comes… if I really do choose to go to Shamballa… will you be disappointed in me, Archer?"

He closed the distance between them, embracing her tightly.

"I would never be disappointed in you, Elora. Follow your heart and what you believe in and I will follow you all the way. I can never thank you enough for all that you've done for me… sacrificed for me."

Elora placed a hand over her heart as Archer pulled away, "It wasn't just for you, Archer. These are my sacrifices… and my desires."

Archer smiled somewhat, "Alphonse seems like a sweet boy."

Instantly she blushed, "So?" she squeaked.

Archer chuckled.

This is going to be very interesting indeed…

* * *

"No, east is this way, dammit!"

"No, it's not! You're wrong, I'm right! Deal with it!"

Al and Archer both sweatdropped as Elora and Edward continued to argue over which direction to go in. Just as they were about to strangle each other, Archer grabbed the map and pointed forward, in neither direction the two had been arguing over.

"Actually, east is that way."

Al glanced at the map over Archer's shoulder, "He's right, Brother."

Edward twitched a little before sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck, "So it is! Let's go!"

Elora face-palmed, "I'm going to end up killing him!"

"Don't," Archer smiled. "It would make poor Al here very sad."

"Yes, it would." Al replied.

Elora looked away, "Last thing I want is for you to be sad, Alphonse…" she admitted softly, before she took off running after Edward to hide the blush etched across her face.

Al blinked, unsure what she meant by that, before he started to walk alongside Archer. Once again Elora and Edward started another argument. The two quickly caught up with the bickering pair, who had finally stopped arguing long enough to glare in opposite directions and incoherently insult one another under their breath.

"So, I've been wondering… why haven't you two left already? Surely these elements you were talking about aren't that difficult to find?" Al began to let his thoughts wander out loud as the group traveled down the dusty dirt path towards on ominous goal.

Archer elaborated on the subject with an odd wave of his hand, and a strange grin, "The forging and gate opening takes more than one Shamballan alchemist. Since Elora is from this plain, she would not be able to take part in the process. This is the reason why she has agreed to sacrifice portions of her soul."

Al noticed for the first time how girly this boy actually was. It wasn't intentional, but he gave off a feminine air. Right on cue, Edward, who must've noticed this as well, opened his mouth.

"So, girly man, you still haven't explained how you two know this."

Archer blushed bright red, with a mixture of embarrassment and anger, "I would like it if you would please refrain from poking fun at me, Edward. Anyways, we had a mentor, I guess you could call him that. His name was Arthur –"

Archer was cut off by Elora, "He was a servant to my foster father, although he treated me more like a daughter than that man ever did. He was a Shamballan alchemist, marooned here after a horrible experience in his youth that he would never explain to us. All we knew is that he wanted more than anything to return to Shamballa, we never knew why."

Elora gave a gloomy expression and shifted her gaze towards her feet. A somber atmosphere settled upon the group. In that one moment, they came to a stop, the Elric brothers gazing at Elora and Archer with bewildered gazes. Al felt a strange twinge of pain in his chest at the sight of Elora sad, and it was taking all of his will not to make her uncomfortable by pulling her into a hug.

"He trained us, shaped our alchemy into what it is now… we owe everything we are to him." Elora let out a whisper. "He… passed away before we could finish the task."

Edward and Al both took in a deep breath, the story had forced them to relive their own loss of a loved teacher. Much to their surprise, Edward reached out to give Elora's shoulder a small squeeze. She blinked at him, her glossy amethyst eyes wide in surprise.

"We have a lot of ground to cover. C'mon. We only have a few hours left of daylight."

Giving a nod, Archer started to lead the way again. Elora avoided Edward's gold gaze before she quickly ran to catch up with her best friend, slipping her arm through his, and hugging it. Al and Edward followed silently behind them.

"They act closer than friends… like siblings." Al pointed out quietly.

"I think they almost are." Edward admitted. "We better keep an eye on Elora though."

Al blinked his brown eyes, "How come, Brother?"

Edward shifted his gaze away, wondering how oblivious his brother was. How could Al not see how taken Elora already was with him?

"She's not Amestrian." was all Edward could say.

Al frowned, running his hand through his golden brown locks.

"Hey, Elora, stay out of that knapsack!" Edward snapped, running forward. "That's our dinner for tonight!"

"You jerk! I was just trying to fix it so it'd be easier for me to carry! Stop assuming I'm taking things!"

"I have a right to assume!"

"Yeah, well, assume just makes an ass out of you and me!"

Edward rolled his eyes, "Listen girly, you better watch it when I get my alchemy back! Otherwise I may just transmute you so you can't talk anymore!"

Elora twitched before she did a roundhouse kick, sending Edward flying. Archer sweatdropped before he grabbed her, sighing as he quickly threw her over his shoulder like a sack of flour. Elora kicked and screamed, demanding he put her down so she could end Edward's existence, while Al helped pull his brother back to his unsteady feet.

One thing was for certain…

This was going to be a long journey.

* * *

Nightfall.

It was cold that night, and the rain wasn't helping. If it hadn't been for a lovely old couple who was kind enough to let them sleep in the barn for the night, they would've ended up catching horrible colds.

Edward was fast asleep on the hay, stomach exposed and hand pressed against the warm skin. Archer had fallen asleep going over an alchemy text a few feet away, leaning against the stall with his head on his shoulder and slumped over. Al, who had been curled up beside his brother, awoke a few minutes later.

The creaking of the loft above was what had awoken the younger brother. The sound of the rain pounding on the roof of the barn was rhythmic, almost alluring. Al sat up, looking up, and caught a glimpse of movement in the dim flickering lantern light.

He knew who it was at once, knowing she wouldn't sleep with the rain going on. Upon the first rumble of thunder, he noticed Elora stiffen and play off like everything was fine, but the young girl obviously held some fears when it came to thunder storms. Al crept to the ladder that would lead to the loft, climbing up quickly, and peering around.

He found her in the corner, hands pressed over her ears and eyes clenched shut as she was curled up against the hay. He bit his lip, carefully approaching, and reaching out to brush his hand against her shoulder. Elora squeaked and opened her eyes, nearly slamming her head into the wall behind her, but Al swiftly grabbed her arm and prevented that from occurring.

"A-Alphonse…"

"It's okay…"

Elora blinked rapidly, especially as Al scooted close enough to wrap an arm around her and hold her.

"It's okay to be scared sometimes…"

Elora bit her lip and closed her eyes, "I just wish I didn't feel so alone…"

Al was quiet, "I know that feeling too, but then I remember that my brother is always here with me, even if he's not there physically…"

"Kinda like… how I feel with Amelia?"

"Amelia's your sister?"

Elora gave a nod, "Yeah… I hated leaving her but she would've gotten hurt. She's safer back home."

"Hey, Elora…?"

"Yeah, Alphonse?"

Al fidgeted and felt his face heat up, "Earlier… you said seeing me sad was the last thing you wanted… how come?"

Elora blushed bright red and whispered, "I-I d-don't know… it just is, okay?"

Al smiled at this, "Thanks…"

"For what?"

Al closed his eyes, leaning against her.

"For finding Ed and me…"

Elora fell silent.

"And thank you…" she finally whispered.

"For?"

Brown eyes glanced at her curiously.

Elora snuggled up against him, "Comforting someone you hardly know… that says a lot about you, Alphonse Elric. It says you're a caring person and have a good heart…" her amethyst eyes glossed over and she swallowed hard, "And God knows that I don't have many people like that in my life."

"That's going to change, Elora, when we get to 'Shamballa'…"

Elora didn't reply, the painful thought of her sister piercing her thoughts.

"I don't know if I can do it, Alphonse…"

"Do what?"

A tear slipped down her cheek as she hugged her closed fists to her chest along with her knees.

"How can I let go of everything I've ever known…?"

* * *

**PK: So here we go!**

**ETP: Please review guys! No flames!**

**PK: Later!**


	3. Chapter 3

**ETP: For those of you wondering, this story is going to turn out very long, due to the tasks of creating this neo-philosopher's stone (my term for it) along with the story line unfolding.**

**PK: We've put a lot of thought into this and we hope you continue to enjoy our story.**

**ETP: So without further a due, let us continue on with the tale of the Elric brothers and the mysterious alchemists of the other world…**

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Chapter III

The Beginning of Days

Sunlight drifted into the barn, peeking its way through the cracks and silhouetting across Ed's face as he slept. His eyes squinted as he fought to stay asleep and within his dreams, where he could be with Winry, but sleep escaped him. His eyes opened and disappointment filled him as he recalled where he was and who was by his side.

At least, who should've been by his side…

Ed shot up, "Al?" he looked around, frantic eyes searching for his brother.

Archer placed a finger to his lips the moment Ed looked at him, "Shh… let them sleep a little longer."

Ed raised an eyebrow before he stood up, stepping back and looking up. He caught the bewildering sight of Al and Elora cuddled up together, fast asleep on the hay on the loft above. Archer chuckled softly before closing his alchemy text, slipping it carefully back into his coat.

"What are they – how did that happen?"

"Fear is a curious thing and makes us do strange things… but it also can bring comfort."

Ed cocked his head to the side, trying to piece the pieces together and understand what Archer was saying.

"Elora doesn't wish to appear weak in your eyes, Edward." Archer explained quietly as he dusted off his pants. "Hiding one's fear is pretending it doesn't exist, which she tends to do quite often, especially around those she respects on some level."

Ed blinked, "She respects us?"

"Of course. It's not every day we come across skilled and promising young alchemists."

"Huh," Ed had a small smile tug on his lips before he stood up and stretched. "So we have a lot of ground to cover… though you two still haven't told us where exactly we're headed."

Archer was quiet before he gave him a smile, "The city of London."

Ed raised an eyebrow, "May I ask why?"

"To obtain the first of the twelve of course."

"First of the…what?"

Archer sighed and replied, "It's best if we wait until young Alphonse and Elora are awake before we explain."

It wasn't long before the chirping birds awoke Elora, who blushed hotly at finding herself so close to Al, before she hurried down the loft and hid in the corner of one of the stalls until her embarrassment had passed. Al rubbed his eyes sleepily, before he chuckled softly at her slight embarrassment. He wasn't at all embarrassed, feeling a wave of happiness that he had managed to comfort Elora enough for her to sleep.

"Who wants some milk?" Archer exclaimed happily, pulling up with a couple of stew bowls full of milk that he had milked from one of the cows.

Al blinked as Ed, quite rudely, knocked the bowl out of Archer's outstretched hand by kicking it. The bowl cluttered against the floor, dripping down the cracks, and pooling at Archer's feet. Wide gray eyes stared at the blond.

"Milk is the most vile, disgusting thing on the planet."

"I cannot disagree with you on that one," Elora replied indigently, making a face.

Archer sighed and hesitantly handed one of the bowls to Al, who took it politely and drank the calcium-filled substance. Elora and Ed proceeded to head outside of the barn, using the water pump to get them something that wasn't so 'vile' to drink. Archer and Al exchanged a smile and a chuckle.

Elora looked up, glancing over her shoulder as Ed pumped and she held the bucket steady, her dark brown hair falling over her shoulder like a waterfall. Blue-violet eyes blinked a few times as she noticed Al staring at her, at least until he blushed and quickly ran over to some wheat.

"Wanna make us some bread?" Ed called over to Archer.

Archer gave a nod before he helped Al gather enough wheat for four. Once it had been gathered, Elora rushed over to Archer, a wide grin on her face as she grabbed a sharp stick, drawing a transmutation circle in the dirt underneath their feet. Ed leaned over her, inspecting her circle, and smirking slightly.

"It's a bit lopsided," he snickered.

Stress marks formed and she slammed her fist back, moving to hit his kneecap, only to gasp out in pain a second later and burst into tears as she clutched her hand to her chest. Archer had rage flash across his face as he tenderly took Elora's hand in his own, inspecting it.

"What did you do to her?"

Ed held up his hands in defense, "Nothing! She just hit the wrong leg, is all." He lifted the hem of his pants, revealing the auto-mail that made up his left leg and then pulled off his right glove, revealing the same thing for his right arm. "See? This is why I was called the Full Metal Alchemist."

"Warn somebody next time!" Elora snarled through her tears.

"Shh… shh…"

Elora let out a strange noise mingled with a squeak as Al was suddenly wrapping her injured hand in a cool damp piece of cloth. The water felt good against her throbbing and swelling hand, but the heat in her face from how close Al was to her was unpleasant. Archer elbowed Ed with a wide grin in place, but the blond simply rolled his eyes.

"Do you want me to do it?" Archer asked once Elora's hand had been tended too.

Elora gave him a dull stare, "And have you catch the poor old couple's land on fire? No thanks, I think I should do it."

"But your hand –"

Al was cut off as Elora ignored her injury, clapping her hands together, and then placing them on the edge of the circle. Glowing green light emitted from the wheat, and the two brothers watched with wide eyes as it transformed into a loaf of bread. Shyly smiling, Elora watched as Archer broke off enough for everyone, passing it around.

"So… you like to do regular transmutations?"

"Considering we have strengths and weaknesses with our alchemy, it depends on what exactly we can transmute." Archer explained after chewing and swallowing a bite of their breakfast. "Elora, gifted in wind alchemy, is a better candidate for transmuting the earth into supplies such as food, water, and occasionally shelter. Due to my fire alchemy, I am better suited for transmuting weapons and the whatnot."

Ed couldn't hold it in any longer, "I want to do the blood exchange! I want to be able to perform alchemy again! Living a hard-working life is honorable and all, but alchemy was the science I was gifted at! I was a prodigy, and so was Al!"

Archer gave a sigh before ruffling his red-brown hair with his gloved hand, "Alphonse, are you in agreement with Ed?"

"Yes, I would also like to make the blood exchange, Archer."

Elora looked pale suddenly, before she quickly lowered her gaze.

"Is she okay?" Ed jabbed his thumb at her.

"Blood makes me queasy…"

Ed sweatdropped, "You're an alchemist, how…?"

"Sh-shut it!" the brunette snapped, before she furiously began pulling her hair into a messy high ponytail and tying it back. "Alphonse, Archer, let's go. We need a more secluded spot."

"Wait!"

The three of them came to a halt, turning their gazes on Ed, who had his arms crossed and gold eyes narrowed on Archer and Elora.

"You need to explain what this first of twelve nonsense is before we do anything."

Elora cocked her head to the side, "It's pretty self-explanatory."

"Maybe to you, but I'm pretty lost." Ed retorted.

Al rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Me too."

"The first of twelve refers to the birthstones of each month, and each month represents the beginning of new days." Archer explained, "However, we cannot simply just get any old stone. We must get each stone in its natural state, uncut."

"Sounds difficult," Al admitted, biting his lower lip.

Elora nodded and replied, "Which is why we asked for your help…"

Ed had his eyes narrowed, "You're not telling us something."

She jumped and lowered her gaze to her boots, where she was shuffling her feet nervously, nudging the toe into the dirt at her feet. Her arms crossed over her stomach as she finally glanced at Archer, who gave a deep sigh, and then a nod of agreement. Elora turned her attention on the Elrics.

"There's one last item… it's been named the Dragon's Heart."

"Okay… what is it?"

"It's made from alchemy itself… its pure energy in a crystallized form that only the purest heart from Shamballa in our world can retrieve." Elora replied. "Arthur told us about it, those late nights when he talked about going home."

"And you need us because of Alphonse…" Ed breathed in realization. "He's the only one untainted."

"That and I told you, more than one Shamballan to open the gate."

Ed gave a nod of understanding, "Let's get this blood exchange over with."

"W-Wait…"

It was Al who stopped them this time. Brown eyes were flickering in pain as memories hit him. He didn't want to let them hurt him any longer and continue to haunt him as they had done for so many years.

Yet back in that one moment, when Elora had been helping Ed get water, and she turned to gaze at him. He had seen, for that split second, a moment of the past with their mother. And that memory, that splitting reminder, made him want to tell their new friends just what exactly they had gone through.

"Al?" Elora spoke his name softly, reaching out to touch his arm.

"Human kind cannot gain anything without first giving up something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange… in those days, we believed it to be the world's one and only truth." Al recited, tears stinging the corners of his eyes. "There's a reason why Ed's leg and arm are that way…"

Elora took a step back and looked at Archer, who reached over and took her hand, squeezing it gently. Ed moved to do a similar action, his left hand finding its way to Al's shoulder, gripping it comfortingly.

"We went beyond the laws of alchemy… we used human transformation to try and bring our mother back to life. I lost my leg… and Al lost his body." Ed swallowed hard. "I gave up my right arm to attach Al's soul to a suit of armor… and thus began our journey to find the philosopher's stone to try and right our wrongs…"

"What happened then?"

"Several years passed with me being a dog of the military… until finally we found it." Ed clenched his eyes shut, "I lost my brother again… for he became the philosopher's stone. I went through the gate… and I ended up here, in this world, and he got his body back and returned to being a ten-year-old boy."

"You've got to have at least four years apart in age though…" Archer replied, frowning.

"Technically Al's only younger than me by about a year, but physically he's younger by almost five."

Al took over and replied, "A sacrificial gate between Shamballa and this world had been opened, but Lieutenant Colonel Mustang destroyed the gate on Shamballa's side and I came back with Brother and we destroyed the gate on this side…"

"And thus we began our journey, two years ago to destroy any and all traces of alchemy that could be used for evil in this world… especially with the war going on."

No one spoke for a few minutes, before Elora abruptly snatched the knapsack, slung it over her shoulder, and walked briskly down the road. The blond slowly rubbed the back of his head, wondering what had gotten into her, when Archer suddenly spoke.

"She doesn't know how to make things better, if in any way at all, and she feels guilty about it. She's the same way when it comes to my lost memories of my life in Shamballa."

"She just wants to help?" Al breathed.

Archer gave a nod of confirmation; before he pulled out his alchemy text from inside his coat, and he opened it and clicked open a pen. He started to trail after his brunette companion, scribbling something down in the book.

"Why did we tell them…?" Ed couldn't help but whisper.

"Because… they needed to know." Al replied just as softly. "Come along, Brother, we have to get away from here so we can do the exchange."

Ed followed close behind, looking up at the white clouds drifting in the sky. He could see the dark gray clouds looming in the distance, and he inhaled the sweet late summer air. The barn disappeared behind him as they entered the woodland area of the country, heading in the direction of London.

"Hey, guys, wait up!"

He brushed back some of the branches and could barely keep Al in sight. He broke into a jog, catching up to them. They emerged in a small clearing after about fifteen or so minutes.

"Here's good… there's enough space." Elora looked around slowly, before she turned to Archer. "You want to do that side and meet in the middle?"

Archer gave a flamboyant grin and snapped a large branch into two, tossing Elora one half, but before she could catch it, Al reached out and caught it for her.

"Your hand must be troubling you, allow me to do it. I know what to do."

Blushing faintly, Elora glanced down at her wrapped and slightly swelled hand, finding it hard to clutch it into a fist or even move her fingers without sharp amounts of pain pulsating through her arm. She gave a slight nod before settling down at the base of one of the trees, watching as Archer and Al made fast work, drawing out a far more complicated transmutation circle.

"Something's missing…" Ed spoke up, chin in hand. "Let me see," he held his hand out for Archer's stick.

Archer handed it to him, "Yeah, sure."

Ed wandered around the circle, adding writing at the edges that Al recognized, and suddenly he grinned. He started doing the same on the other side. Once the circle was complete, the pair of brothers grinned and placed their hands on their waists in accomplishment.

Pulling off his gloves, Archer glanced at his best friend. "Elora, knife."

Elora paled considerably before she reached into the knapsack, withdrawing a small hunting knife. She tossed it across the ground, it skidding to a halt at Archer's feet. He snatched it up before he turned to the two brothers.

"Who's first?"

"I am," Ed replied at once. "Al, go stand next to Elora."

"Okay,"

Ed took a deep breath before meeting Archer's gaze, gold eyes staring into shades of gray; before Archer flipped open the blade. He clenched his eyes shut as his hand trembled along with his breath. The moment the blade sliced through the tender meat of his palm, Archer hissed in pain.

Elora clenched her eyes shut as the blood dropped onto the circle, it illuminating at once, and her fingers traced over the own scar on her palm. Al glanced at her, brown eyes noticing the expression on Elora's face, before he silently reached over and placed a hand on her head. Elora glanced up him, feeling his hand tenderly stroking her hair.

"It'll be okay…"

She gave a nod, before turning to look at where Ed was slicing open his left palm. His blood added to the circle, before Archer and Ed grasped hands, their blood mingling and cascading to the earth as one.

"Brother?" Al exclaimed as light flooded the area, blinding them both.

Elora snatched his hand, halting him from entering the circle, and pulling him back.

"Listen to what you just told me… it'll be okay."

Trembling with fearful eyes, Al looked at her before back at the circle, where the light had died. Ed and Archer were hunched over; both shaking as they slowly looked up at one another.

"D-Did… did it work?" Al choked out.

Ed responded by clapping his hands together, his metal arm becoming the familiar blade-like weapon from the past.

"Appears so!"

"Archer, are you okay?" Elora exclaimed.

Archer gave a nod, "Stay where you are. Al, switch places with Ed. Elora, can you bandage Ed up?"

She gave her own nod, "Yeah, sure thing…"

They switched places, Ed allowing Elora to bandage his hand to stop the blood flow. Archer looked at his hand, before handing the blood-stained knife to Al, who took it with slight hesitation. Taking a deep breath and forcing himself not to think, Al sliced open his palm with a quick stroke, and then grasped Archer's hand after his blood had descended and joined his brother's.

"And so the exchange is made…" Ed said softly as the light died away. "Al?"

Al looked around and pulled out the broken pocket watch in his pocket, before stepping out of the circle, and then drawing a smaller and simpler circle, in which he placed the watch. He crossed his hands and closed his eyes, the power of alchemy flowing through him as he transmuted the watch, repairing it as if it was brand new.

"C'mere," Elora hissed, wanting to bandage him before he left a trail of blood.

A sentimental expression crossed Al's face as Elora's hand tenderly cleaned his fresh wound and bandaged it with amazing gentleness. Her soft hand brushed against his as their eyes met. They stared at one another for a few seconds, both of their cheeks staining a soft pink as a strange static went through the air. Not even sure if the two younger ones noticed, Ed and Archer exchanged a look.

Ed looked at his hands and smiled, "So where do we go from here?"

Blushing and quickly stepping away from the younger Elric, Elora made her way over to Archer.

"To obtain the first of twelve… the garnet." Elora said softly while bandaging Archer's hand.

"Alright then… let's start our journey of new beginnings." Archer stood up, brushing off his pants indigently, before pulling his gloves back on. "Come along, young alchemists, and let us show this world that we can conquer all obstacles so long as we band together!"

Elora laughed, the sound almost melodic. "Oh, Archer, you silly boy. Stop talking like our late mentor and act your age."

Gray eyes blinked before they closed, "Perhaps you are right, Elora…"

It was good to be back, that was for sure.

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**ETP: Yay for the unfolding of a wonderful tale!**

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**ETP: So? You can never get enough love from FMA!**

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	4. Chapter 4

**ETP: Thanks for the support, feedback, and hits. We appreciate you taking your time to read this and let us know what you think of our story.**

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**Disclaimer: We do not own anything involving FMA… other than our various fan items such as figurines, manga, DVDS, and t-shirts. Oh, and our OCs, and Divine Child owns Amelia. Please R no flames.**

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Chapter IV

Sisters and Brothers

Silence and darkness were their greeting as they crept down the rainy streets. Travel worn and weary from several days of journeying, the four young adolescents found themselves tired and hungry, only seeking to achieve the first of twelve and get some food in their stomachs other than transmuted plants and the whatnot.

"Look, an inn!" Ed cheered upon sight. "How much money do we have left?"

Al dug whatever money the Elric brothers had scraped up doing odd jobs and labor over their travels, but frowned at the small amount. It had dwindled to almost nothing in the many days to replace supplies. With four people it was harder to keep so many supplies savored for longer periods of time.

"Hey, it's okay. We can stay there." Elora said quickly.

Before they could question how or why her demeanor had suddenly changed drastically, the three young men quickly followed her through the rain, and into the safety of the warm, dry inn. Ed did a scan of his surroundings, noting nothing out of the norm, and he followed close to Al and Archer as they approached the inn keeper, whom Elora was speaking quickly to in Italian.

Before they could even approach, she turned around, showing them a key with a smile on her lips, though her eyes didn't smile as well. She quickly grabbed them by their arms, all three of them, and pulled them up the stairs and to one room.

"Um… Elora… there's only two beds. And one room." Ed said making a face.

"It's the best we could do in this situation. So you have to bed share, big deal? I'm the only girl and have to bed share with a guy!" she side-stepped over and grabbed Archer's shoulder, "Right, Archer?"

Archer sweatdropped and simply muttered, "Right, Elora…" though the expression on his face clearly read "Why me?"

"I'm taking a shower," Elora said sharply, before she scurried into the bathroom and locked the door behind her.

"Of course she would get first dibs," Ed made a face as he sat down on the edge of one of the beds.

"She is a girl, Brother." Al said with a smile.

Ed twitched, "A bratty girl at that."

Archer shook his head, layered locks falling around his face like curtains, before he leaned back on the other bed and looked around the poorly and dully decorated room. A sigh escaped him as he glanced at the bathroom door, a flicker of slight worry in his eyes, before he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Gold eyes watched as Archer withdrew his familiar alchemy text, "What do you keep scribbling in that thing?"

"I'm deciphering Arthur's notes." Archer replied, "They're almost like riddles… Elora understands some better than others, as do I."

"Want me to help?"

Archer shook his head, "Thank you for the offer but I can handle it!" He gave them another wide and cheeky grin, putting off that familiar feminine air.

Al started to head for the door, "I'm going to get some food for us."

As soon as he said those words, the bathroom door opened and Elora stepped out, eyes wide in protest. Her hair was damp and clinging to her face.

"I s-should go!"

"Why?" Ed narrowed his eyes suspiciously on her.

"Cause I want to, that's why!" Elora snapped at him.

She was lying, and both brothers knew it.

Elora quickened her pace, stepping in strides twice the length of her normal ones. Her heart fluttered, she felt queasy. She finally reached the door to hotel room they were inhabiting for the night, and was moments away from turning the knob, when Ed intervened. He had managed to bolt to the door and barricade it with his automail leg before Elora could even register his movements.

Elora's expression had become creepy, almost possessed like, "Sly, Ed. But I would advise you to get out of my way."

"Tell me what's wrong, I'm not buying this, 'because I want too,' crap!"

Ed shook of the creepy stare. He turned to look at Al and Archer. Al was squinting at the situation, possibly deciphering if Ed was doing the right thing or not. Archer, on the other hand, was wide-eyed.

"Ed! I would advise you too not –" Archer was soon cut off as Ed came flying at him from across the room, landing hard beside him in the floor.

Archer gazed at Elora, who winced in pain, and clasped her hand.

"Make me do wind alchemy with a busted hand!" She glared angrily. "You're such a jerk, Edward!"

"It's not wise to provoke Elora when she's hungry." Archer let off a giggle as he buried himself into his notes again and Elora threw open the doorway and strode out into the dark.

Ed sat up and rubbed the back of his head, an annoyed expression on his face. "Yeah, I can tell." he winced before glancing at Al, "Wanna try and talk to her?"

Al held up his hands, "Uh, actually, I think it's best if we leave Elora alone for a bit! Let her cool off, you know? Her hand must be really bothering her, and she seems like the type that when she gets hurt pain angers her."

"That's correct," Archer quipped.

Ed stood up, "Well, I'm not going to stand by and let her think like she can act that way without us trying to figure out what's going on." He headed for the door, opening it and glancing at the two over his shoulder, "Keep an eye on things. I got this weird feeling that something might happen."

Archer raised an eyebrow as Al gave a nod, Ed closing the door behind him. His keen eyes narrowed down the dimly lit corridor, the faint sound of merriment from below reaching his ears as he crept down the corridor. He had just reached the steps that would lead downstairs when he heard footsteps ascending them.

Elora had returned, a tray in her hands carrying a bowl of fruit along with some stew and some honey bread that the kind innkeeper had gotten for them, treating them as important guests despite the cramped space provided. Ed stepped back into the shadows, waiting until she was on the landing and on the way back to the room. As she was about to pass, he saw for the first time how distressed Elora really was.

Dark circles were under her eyes, her complexion pale, and she looked frantic and even a little scared. It was if the city itself feared her. Before she could shift the tray and open the door, Ed reached out and placed his hand on the door, preventing her from opening it. Elora jolted, almost dropping the tray.

"What does the name Rosenburg have to do with you?"

A flicker of panic crossed her face, "I've never heard that name before in my life." She said sharply, her tone cold.

Ed wasn't going to fall for it, her lies and deceit. If they were to be companions, and if he was going to allow her to give up a portion of her soul for sacrifice, then it was his burden to protect her and also have her be completely honest with them. Living in a lie, even if it's to protect, was never the answer.

"Stop lying to us!"

Ed felt his temper flare, and he snatched Elora's uninjured wrist. He jerked her close, catching the tray with his other hand, and resting it on the ground before he pulled Elora into a very shocking embrace.

"We're supposed to be friends…"

Elora felt tears stinging her eyes as she choked out, "W-We are…"

Ed opened his eyes partway, "Then stop lying to us, and tell us what's going on. Even if we don't like it, Elora, me and you… we're a lot alike. And I know you care deeply about Al… and me even though we just met."

Elora managed to slip free, but she didn't turn and run as he expected. Instead she fell to her knees, crying into her hands. Ed knelt down beside her, gripping her shoulder as her body racked with sobs. Awkwardly his other hand reached out, stroking her dark brown strands.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" Elora sobbed, "It's just… it's so hard…"

"Life is hard, and anyone who tells you otherwise is a dumbass."

Elora wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her blouse, before she lifted her head. In that split second, Ed swore that her eyes were more blue than amethyst, almost a sapphire shade that mirrored her sorrow clearly.

"My foster father is neglectful… his name is Liam Rosenburg. His political status is very high, and he's well-known throughout Europe." Elora confessed, "People around here know I'm his foster daughter… that he adopted me out of pity and to get more status." She said the last part with so much malice Ed wasn't surprised that a strong wind whipped around her, making her hair fly wildly as her emotions skyrocketed. "My father worked for him, and when my parents were killed he only saw it 'fit' to take me in. Damn bastard."

"And then he shipped you off, not even giving you the time of day to finish raising you like he promised the day he adopted you." Ed finished, looking up at the ceiling, and leaning back on his hands. "How old were you when it happened?"

"I was only seven… Archer had been raised by my family for only a few months and had become my 'brother' before it happened. Once I was adopted, Archer came with us, but he was put under Arthur's care and not recognized as an adoptee."

"You two are what, fifteen, sixteen?"

"Archer's almost seventeen… I'm fifteen."

"So you're obviously angry with Rosenburg for neglecting you and your foster sister…"

"Yes, and I despise being here."

"Well, once we get the first of the twelve, then we can leave this place."

"It's not that simple, Ed. Even if I run as far away as I can, all that will prove is I'm a weakling and a coward. My strength is nothing."

Ed shook his head, "Escaping from a bad situation doesn't make you a coward. It proves you have a good head on your shoulders, and that you know when it's best to run and when it's best to stay and fight."

Elora smirked and wiped away the remnants of her tears from now-sapphire eyes, "That was almost a compliment."

"Guess it was," Ed smirked back before he cocked his head to the side, "Hey… your eyes…"

"What?" Elora blinked and then grabbed the silver bowl of fruit, inspecting her reflection. "Oh… it's happened again."

"What's happened?"

"Ever since I exchanged a piece of my soul for alchemy… my eyes mirror my emotions. Blue for negative emotions, violet for positive, and my normal shade whenever I'm in balance."

Ed watched as Elora closed her eyes, obviously trying to force herself to remember something to cancel out the sorrow she was feeling. When her eyes opened once more, Ed was almost glad to see they were back to their normal blending of blue and violet, reminding him of amethysts.

"We should take them some food. I'm sure that Alphonse is as hungry as much as we are." Elora whispered.

"About my brother…"

Elora paused and looked away, hiding her face with her hair. Chuckling, Ed clamped his hand down on her head, ruffling her hair with a smirk on his face. Irritated and glaring at him, Elora jerked free, snatched the tray, and scrambled to her feet.

"Don't talk to me about Al!" Elora said sharply.

"You can't help how you feel." Ed said, staring straightforward as she glared down at him. "It might be easier if you just confess you're falling for him."

"No!" Elora snapped, whirling on him. "I don't feel that way towards Al, I just can't!"

Ed looked down, "Denying the feelings just under the surface… isn't a way to live at all."

Elora looked around and shouldered open the door, and Ed sighed as she slammed it shut. Pissing her off was an easy thing to do, but getting her to open up and be honest was ten times harder. He leaned back against the wall and exhaled deeply.

"The sooner we get out of here… the better."

* * *

"Pretty ritzy house…" Ed whispered as he heaved himself through the window that Archer had boosted Elora through moments before. "Just what are we doing here anyway? Shouldn't we be heading to retrieve the first of the twelve?"

Al gave a shrug as Archer turned around, placing a finger to his lips, and they fell silent as they crept down the moonlit hallway of the mansion they had entered. Elora was oddly silent, stealthily pressed against the wall, and eyes narrowed. Her blouse was now tied around her waist, and for the first time their eyes took in the deep, angry red scar that went across her upperarm in a sharp angle.

"Where did you get that scar, Elora?" Al whispered.

Archer was the one to answer, "That was my doing…"

Elora froze and met his gray eyes, "It's not your fault, Archer, and I wish you would stop blaming yourself. It was an accident." She jerked back against the wall, "Shut it!"

All four held their breath as footsteps rang in the halls. Elora's teeth gritted as her eyebrows met in bewilderment.

_He's not supposed to be home! He's supposed to be in Berlin!_

Elora glanced at Archer, who gave a nod. As soon as the shadow grew large enough across the moonlit floor, Archer lunged out, grasping the being by their arms and holding the small hunter's knife to their throat. A cry, one quite feminine, reached their ears.

Elora recognized that cry, quickly moving and clicking on the light switch, and suddenly she felt a lump scorching her throat. Ed and Al both felt their jaws drop as Archer released the young beauty in his arms.

"E-Elora…?"

"Amelia…"

Al's brown eyes were wide as he looked back and forth, "This is your sister?"

Ed face-palmed, "Of course! They're foster sisters! No wonder it caught us off guard. Amelia's such a beauty and Elora's just a little kid!"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Elora snarled, looking ready to kick Ed's ass if Archer let go of her. "LITTLE KID? I'M ALMOST SIXTEEN YEARS OLD AND AMELIA'S ONLY A YEAR OLDER THAN ME!"

A giggle that was sweet and soft reached their ears. The four of them turned and blinked at the redhead, who was giggling softly.

"You never change, do you?"

Amelia Rosenburg smiled, hand pressed over her bosom of her peach nightgown, honey-colored eyes wide. Scarlet curls tumbled down her back to her waist, and Amelia took a step towards Elora. Said girl was hugging herself, looking annoyed.

"What are you doing here?" Elora muttered.

"Wait… if Amelia is here then…" Ed glared at the two younger companions, "This is Rosenburg's house? This is where we're getting the first of twelve?"

Archer rubbed the back of his neck with a wide grin, "Yup!"

"WE'RE ROBBING ELORA'S HOUSE?"

Elora scoffed, crossed her arms over her chest, and rolled her eyes at the Elrics' exclamation. "Kinda hard to rob what's technically mine."

Archer nodded and replied, "It's true. The uncut garnet we need was a gift to Elora for her birthday last year. We left it behind, not knowing we were going to need it until later on."

"You came back just for that…?"

Elora sent a guilty look towards Amelia, who had hurt across her face and tears filling the corners of her eyes. Jerking back from the hug she was about to give, Amelia looked away, but her honey eyes locked on the transmutation circle tattooed to her sister's wrist.

"You're still planning on going…"

It wasn't a question, but a statement.

Elora refused to look Amelia in the eyes, "Yes. My decision is the same."

Amelia clenched her hands tightly as she let her emotions bubble to the surface, "So you're just going to leave me behind again!"

"You know it's not like that, Amelia!" Elora shouted, "I have to do this, for Archer!"

"So you chose your brother over me, your sister?"

"I'm not choosing between you! You don't understand, Amelia, and you never will!"

Amelia jerked back and began to cry, "You always were blinded by that cursed magic! That alchemy!"

"Alchemy is a science." Ed said sharply. "And with it comes responsibilities. Weak-hearted beings aren't cut out for it and won't ever comprehend the choices alchemists make."

Elora was quiet before she closed the distance between them, pulling the crying redhead into a tight embrace. Amelia buried her face into Elora's shoulder, clutching the soft blue material of the brunette's tank top, and Elora gave a nod at Archer. Swiftly, he moved, disappearing from sight and leaving the four of them in the hallway.

"When you find the way… when you open the gate… will you come back home?"

"I'm sorry…"

Amelia gave a small noise of pain, before she clutched her eyes shut. Archer returned, clutching a wrapped jagged stone the size of his palm in his hand, before he slipped it into the safety of his coat. Elora pulled back and stepped away from Amelia.

"I'll keep in touch," Elora promised, her tone even, deadpan.

Amelia nearly collapsed, but she somehow managed to keep herself upright as she watched with glossed over orbs as Elora started to head for the window. Her hand reached out in a desperate attempt, almost to grasp the back of her tank and stop her from leaving, but she couldn't will her feet to move forward and do so. Ed placed his hands behind his head as he silently followed Archer and Elora, eyes closing, and keeping his thoughts of the matter private.

Al was the one who hesitated, before he approached Amelia, and touched her arm.

"I'll take care of her… she's doing this because she cares."

Amelia felt the tears flow over and down her face, "W-What's… y-your name?"

"Alphonse Elric… I'm from Shamballa, as you call it. And I just wanna go home…"

Amelia closed her eyes and took Al's hand, pressing it over her heart.

"She's part of my heart. If anything happens to her, Alphonse Elric, then that part of my heart will die. Don't let that part die. You can't live without a whole heart… you're just a hollow shell."

Al gave a nod and grabbed Amelia's hand, pressing it over his own heart.

"I was once hollow, but I wasn't pointless, and I still cared even though I didn't have feelings."

She blinked, confused.

"You don't need to understand, but I won't let that happen to you, Amelia. I will protect Elora, even if that means I end up hurt in the process. Because I care."

Amelia closed her eyes, "Thank you…"

Al pulled back and turned swiftly, fighting against his own tears.

Brothers and sisters should never be torn apart…

Worlds apart…

Yet who was he to try and stop Elora's decision?

If she stayed in this world then she would lose Archer, yet stay with Amelia. If she left she would be with Archer, yet lose Amelia. Either way she would lose a sibling.

What if she could have both…?

Al paused and turned, seeing Amelia had fallen to her knees and was crying.

"Amelia?"

She jerked her head up, teary eyes wide and reminding him of the sweetest honey.

"You have a choice too… you don't have to lose Elora."

And with that, Alphonse leapt through the window, leaving Amelia Rosenburg with her own choices in this journey to find the home away from home.

* * *

**ETP: Woot! Another update!**

**PK: Ooo this is getting good!**

**ETP: Helps that I own episodes of FMA on DVD now. Hehe. Inspiration helps.**

**PK: Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**ETP: No drabble for now!**

**PK: Onto the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: FMA still doesn't belong to us, and neither does the ability to perform alchemy… Damn XD**

* * *

Chapter V

Break the Sword of Justice

"You've gotten rusty, Al!"

Al laughed as he evaded his brother's blow, ducking down, and then going for his brother's right kneecap. Ed swung his leg up, his boot making contact with Al's shoulder, and knocking him flat on his back. Al quickly brought his legs up, hopping back onto his feet, and dodge rolling before the next blow could be delivered. Laughing, the blond decided to change his tactics, arms snaking around his younger brother's waist, and tickling the soft and sensitive skin.

"B-Brother?! S-Stop!! Stop tickling me!! Brother?!"

Al went down laughing, unable to stand as his brother continued his tackle assault. Ed laughed and finally stopped, sitting next to him, and throwing his arm around Al's shoulders in a brotherly hug. Al unbuttoned a couple more buttons of his shirt, wiping the sweat off his brow.

"Man, its hot today." Ed said, pulling back, and pulling off his brown vest. He looked around the edge of the woodland before down at the river in which they sat by. "Wonder where Archer and Elora ran off too…"

Al chuckled and replied, "I wonder if Archer's taken off his coat."

Ed rubbed the back of his neck, "Kid's obsessed with that thing, that's for sure. Surely he has to get hot, especially being a flame alchemist and all!"

They both laughed, at least until a blast of wind sprayed water on them like rain. Unsheilding their eyes with their braced arms, the Elric brothers looked up and saw Elora grinning down at them with her hands on her hips, her eyes an eerie and striking shade of violet.

"Archer's cleaning up at a spot we created nearby. Made a shower and everything. I came to find you two to see if you're interested in getting cleaned up."

"That sounds great," Al said with a shy smile. "What about you, have you gotten to clean up?"

"I'll do it later," Elora waved it off before she glanced down at him.

Ed felt a wave of awkwardness as he noticed her gaze was sneaking a peek down Al's shirt. Her next words not only caught Al off guard, but him as well.

"Take it off," Elora giggled. "I won't freak over seeing your chest. Keep in mind I travel with Archer."

Al blushed and glanced down at his partial unbuttoned shirt, his fingers quickly buttoning it back up. An almost playful pout crossed Elora's face, and Ed snickered, before he reached around Al's shoulders and started to unbutton his shirt. Al's face turned bright red.

"B-Brother what are you doing?!"

"Quit being shy!" Ed teased. "She's just a girl!"

"That's not the point, Ed!" Al exclaimed, his voice rising two octaves out of embarrassment.

Ed managed to pull Al's shirt off and then take off running. Elora giggled as Al tried to scramble to his feet, almost trying to shield his chest with his crossed arms, but he simply tripped and landed on his knees while Ed disappeared into the woods. Blushing horribly and trying to will himself to disappear, Al didn't notice that Elora was sitting next to him until a moment later.

"Why are you so shy…?" Elora whispered, "It's not like you're ugly or anything… I think you're quite handsome to be honest."

This compliment made both of their faces redden and Al finally looked at her. He noticed that her blouse, tights, and boots had been removed, leaving her in just her tank and shorts. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail.

"I don't know… I just feel self-conscious… around pretty girls."

Elora bit her lip and looked away, "At least someone thinks I'm pretty… unlike that jerk-face Edward."

Al laughed and said, "When we were younger, we used to fight over who would marry Winry, our childhood friend. I only did it because I was trying to push Ed to realize his feelings for her… and to be honest I think he finally has, but it's taken him so long… and now Ed can only truly see one girl, and that's Winry."

"He called Amelia pretty!"

"Doesn't make you any less," Al admitted, closing his brown eyes, and finally just relaxing. "I like it when your hair's pulled back too. I can see your face better."

Elora was now shy, having lost any confidence and playfulness towards Al. Her nerves were coming into play and making it hard for her to string two words together, let alone an entire sentence. She looked away from Al, trying her damnedest not to recall the words Ed had told her while in London.

Even if she wanted to deny it all she wanted, Elora knew Ed was right, and it irritated the hell out of her.

_I don't want to fall for you… trip over love and you can get back up. Fall in love and you fall forever. It's just that simple._

Then again, love in general wasn't simple. It was complex, just like alchemy.

"T-Thanks… A-Alphonse."

"You're welcome!" he replied cutely before looking up at the sky. "Sure is a nice day… even if it is a bit too hot."

"Gotta love the unpredictable weather, that's for sure…" Elora muttered.

"Hey, Elora, how come _your _shy?"

"N-Nerves…"

Al was smiling at her now, finding a strange wave of confidence he hadn't felt in awhile.

"And why are you nervous?"

His voice had dropped as he leaned in a little closer. Elora felt her heart pounding lethally in her chest, and she found she couldn't move, even if she wanted to. Did she want to? That was the question that was confusing her.

Did she really want to allow herself to fall in love with this sweet kindred alchemist?

She would be an idiot if she said no, but fear gripped her heart. Ever person she got close to, let into her heart, she would eventually lose. She had already grown to care for these two brothers, and losing them would devastate her.

"C-Cause y-you make m-me nervous!" Elora blurted out in a squeak before covering her mouth.

"That's a good thing," Al said softly, "Brother doesn't make you nervous, and neither does Archer… that means I'm special to you, right?"

Elora felt her breath escape her and it didn't come back. He was close now, too close. All she could see was his warm brown eyes and his smile on lips she wanted to kiss.

A wave of embarrassment hit her as she realized her desire, and she quickly looked away and down, clenching her eyes shut. Slightly dejected from her actions, Al leaned back again, realizing now was much too soon. It had only been a few weeks since they had known each other.

He did like Elora though. He liked her way more than he recalled ever liking any other girl, especially in this world. And this time, even if he did end up really liking her, he wouldn't have to leave her and never see her again like the others.

"…I'm tired of fruit." Elora suddenly leapt to her feet and ran towards the river. "I'm catching us some fish for dinner!"

Al sighed and leaned back, a smile on his lips as he watched her with bemused brown eyes, a smile of amusement tugging on his lips. From her actions, he had came to the conclusion he wasn't the only one with a crush, but he wasn't too sure yet.

_Looks like I'll just have to wait and see…_

* * *

"Whoa! For a girly man, you're built!"

Archer sweatdropped and hung his head, "For the last time, Edward, please stop insulting me."

Ed rubbed the back of his neck, "Sorry… forgot how bad it feels to be insulted by the littlest things."

"Besides," Archer turned around and used the heat of the fire of his palm to steam dry his now cleansed clothes. "I've heard from a particular someone that you used to be quite small."

The word 'small' triggered something. Immediately Ed's temper skyrocketed and he started to flail around like an angry child.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLIN' A CHIBI WHO CAN'T EVEN REACH THE COOKIE JAR AND HAS TO USE A STEPLADDER OUT OF HIS LITTLE BROTHER?!?!?"

Trying to stifle a giggle, Archer simply replied with an, "I didn't say that," comment before he turned to dry Ed's clothes. Ed calmed down a second later and then glanced over at the make-shift shower. He had to admit, it was some pretty good use of alchemy.

"You know, I saw Alphonse and you training down by the river." Archer said suddenly. "You may not realize it, but Elora and I have had some combat training ourselves."

Ed glanced at him, "Ever killed anyone?"

"Have you?" Archer simply countered.

Ed flinched as a flash of memories hit him. He clenched his gold eyes shut, breathing a little heavily than before, before he dumped water over his head, trying to clear it. Archer's gray eyes were closed partway, and he had a dark expression on his face.

"I'd like to go up against the two of you, to see where our skills lie." Archer said the moment Ed stopped trying to drown out his memories. "And since the weather seems to be agreeing with me… what do you say?" that cheeky grin was back, and Ed blinked a few times.

_Gotta keep an eye on girly man… might make a move on Al or me if we don't watch it._

As if sensing Ed's thoughts, Archer glared at him. "I happen to like girls and only girls, thank you very much."

"A-Are you a mind-reader?!" Ed twitched, taking a step back from him.

Archer rolled his eyes, "I'm intuitive and it's not hard to decipher those dumbfounded looks on your face."

Ed made a face but didn't continue on with picking on Archer's feminine like qualities.

"Well, anyways, I guess a fight wouldn't be… too much of a stretch. It's always nice to know your allies strengths and weaknesses." Ed gave a sharp look of superiority.

"Don't assume you'll win, Mr. Elric. I've been an alchemist my entire life, and Elora is just as capable, even though she obtained her abilities from me."

Archer shot Ed's look back at him. Ed saw something in Archer, if only for a second. An underlying emotion he just couldn't quite read, an emotion quite different from the usually reserved Archer…

It was creepy… for the most part.

"Who's assuming?" Ed gave a sarcastic grin and continued on with his shower.

Suddenly, a rustle was heard in the bushes, and the leaves scraped against each other, warning the two males that someone was coming. Ed, assuming it was Al coming to get his shower or retrieve his stolen shirt, continued on washing himself. Archer sent a glare into the woods, obviously not so easy to be fooled.

"Archer?! Are you out here?" A young girl stepped through the brush, twigs caught in her hair.

"Elora?!" Archer said wide-eyed, spotting her.

"WAIIIIIIIII!! GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!! ARE YOU CRAZY!?"

Ed jumped back, bringing down the makeshift shower with him, falling. Elora clasped her hands over her eyes, screaming bloody murder.

Elora stepped backward, desperately trying to escape the situation. "MY EYES! WHAT HAVE I SEEN! THE HORROR!"

"YOU KNEW THIS WAS A SHOWER, YOU IDIOT! ARE YOU TRYING TO PEEK AT ME!?!?"

Ed was completely red with embarrassment, hastily trying to cover himself up with his hands. Elora turned towards the forest, hands still clasped.

"No use of alchemy will ever be able to burn the scars off my eyes." She sunk to the ground, sweatdropping all over. "Any innocence I may have left shall be heavily guarded until I'm a withered old woman!"

"That won't take long," Ed muttered, embarrassed still.

He was trying to cover himself with one of the blankets that Archer had handed him. He looked at the ruined shower and felt a twinge of guilt, realizing the younger ones hadn't had a chance to shower yet. Right as soon as he did, Al emerged from the trees.

"I heard screaming, everyone okay?!"

"My dignity's not," Ed said while Elora moaned, "My eyes…"

Al looked from his half-naked brother, to the destroyed makeshift shower, and to the hunched over and embarrassed Elora before piecing the gist of what had occurred together. He felt his cheeks heat up, feeling for both, yet he also felt a strange twinge of jealousy in his chest. He was jealous of the situation, and that embarrassed and confused him.

"Alphonse, why don't you use alchemy to repair this while Ed and I set up camp." Archer said, trying to lighten the mood. He then skipped over to Elora, thankfully dressed in his pants and his dress shirt, and knelt next to her. He gripped her shoulders as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Are you going to be able to stand up or are you still in shock over seeing more of Edward than you ever wanted to see?"

"I NEVER WANT TO SEE ANY SKIN OTHER THAN HIS FACE!"

Archer chuckled and patted her on her head before he looked at Ed, who managed to get his pants on at least. Red-brown hair bounced as Archer grasped Ed's automail arm, dragging him behind him quickly down the path that would lead to their camp ground. Amethyst eyes finally peeked through tawny fingers once Ed and Archer were far.

"That was so awkward," Elora moaned under her breath. "I need to stop thinking about it."

She jumped and squeaked as the sound of Al repairing the shower reached her ears from behind. Whirling around, she saw Al grinning at his repair job. She quickly averted her eyes, not wanting to bring temptation on herself, nor find herself thinking impure thoughts with Al in the situation she just had with Ed.

Al cleared his throat a bit awkwardly, "Ladies first…"

"Um, that's okay. I'll shower later." Elora squeaked.

She didn't want to risk another accident, only vice versa. She had been a late bloomer, and was still self-conscious over her lack of curves. She was honest and was jealous over Amelia, who was curvy and had a lovely figure. It wasn't a wonder she had so many suitors.

"Are you sure?" Al asked quietly.

"Yeah…" Elora quickly stood up and backed away, "Um… later!"

She took off through the trees, leaving Al alone. He gave a sigh, wondering how much Ed had really traumitized the poor girl, before he stripped his remaining clothing and started to shower. He closed his eyes, losing himself to his thoughts as the warm water ran down his body, beating against his aching muscles and feeling great compared to the cold bathing in rivers and the whatnot he had done with Ed over the past two years.

His thoughts of Elora and his current situation were soon broken by the sound of rustling leaves. Al's eyes opened and he quickly grabbed the piece of cloth hanging on the side of the shower, wrapping it around his waist as he stepped out of the water's spray, and he listened keenly over the sound of running water.

"Calm down, it's only me." Archer said, emerging. "You can't tramitize me. We're both male."

Al looked relieved, "Where's Brother?"

"Recovering." Archer giggled, "As horrifying an experience that it was, I will admit it was quite humorous, at least on my part."

Al cracked a small smile, "Yeah. Poor Lor."

Archer cocked his head to the side, eyebrow raising. "What did you just call her?"

A bright blush stained Al's cheeks, "Um, Lor… it's my petname for her."

"How cute," Archer giggled again. "I've brought you some bathing supplies I picked up from that last inn. Here." He laid the bundle down on the ground near the shower. "See you in a bit. Oh, and just so you know, we'll be having a little combat practice later."

Blinking, Al ran his fingers through his golden brown hair, watching as the flame alchemist turned on his heel and disappeared from sight. He glanced down at the bundle before he retrieved it, moving to continue his shower, biting his lip as he thought over everything that was happening and what may happen in the future.

* * *

_This is going to be so much fun…_ Elora snickered as a slight night breeze picked up.

She closed her eyes, letting the element wrap around her, feeling a slight peak in her strength. Archer's gray eyes watched the flames of their campfire dance, and he inched slightly closer to it. Ed and Al stood across from them, Al cracking his knuckles while Ed stretched out his arms, both having wide grins on their faces.

It had been a long time since they had any combat training against anyone other than each other. Now that they had their alchemy, it wouldn't be hand-to-hand combat any longer either. There were no limitations on what they could do.

"Let's make this interesting, but not provoke any real danger." Archer said rationally. "Upon any sign of major fatigue, it will be polite to cease training. We don't wish to use up all of our energy, now do we?"

"He's right, Brother." Al replied softly. "Let's go easy on Lor, 'kay?"

Ed twitched, "Just cause she's a girl and you think she's cute doesn't mean we can underestimate her, Al. She's got a strong gift for wind alchemy… and her temper is almost as bad as Winry's." he paled as he remembered how deadly the blond was with her trusty wrench and quickly shook the thought out of his head. "Imagine her with a weapon!"

Al paled too and choked out, "You're right…" A look of determination crossed both of their faces, "No going easy!"

"Are you two done with your bromance or do I have to kick your asses into gear?" Elora called over, rolling her eyes.

"B-Bromance?! Ew!!" Ed hollered.

Archer giggled and glanced at Elora, who gave a nod, and they clapped their hands simultaneously, creating weapons out of the earth beneath their feet. Elora was armed with a thick quarter staff, and Archer had manifested a large hammer as his weapon of choice. Al created a spear while Ed transmuted his arm.

"Ladies first," Archer said almost politely, though a smirk was clearly on his lips.

Elora grinned wildly, "My pleasure! Hi-yah!" She leapt into the air, twirling the staff, and shockingly clashed weapons with Al.

Ed blinked, taken aback. _I was for sure she was going to attack me!_

Al managed to parry her back, before twirling his spear, and clashing with her again. They started an almost intricate dance, trying to knock the other back or even get in a strike, but they managed to read each other's moves right before they occurred. Ed quickly evaded a blow from Archer, whose demeanor had changed drastically.

His kindred spirit had shifted into that of one of a warrior.

Ed did a handstand that turned into a kick, connecting with Archer's braced arms that sent him skidding backwards, but he managed to stay on his feet. Ed flipped back upright, landing in a crouch, before rushing forward. His blade clashed with the hammer, knocking it out of Archer's hands. Ed went to strike Archer's arm, but the flame alchemist blasted him back with a fire blast that singed the cuffs of Ed's shirt.

_Crap. Forgot about the fire. Close range isn't going to help any unless I want to be fried._

Al gave a startled scream, drawing Ed's attention to his younger brother for a brief moment, allowing Archer to manifest himself a blade made of stone. While the two elder alchemists attacked again, Elora found herself enjoying making Al freak out.

She had managed to pin him to the ground, sitting on top of his chest, and her quarter staff pinning his wrists to the ground and pressed against the base of his throat. Al gulped, brown eyes wide in bewilderment and mild fear, terrified of not knowing what Elora was going to do next. Her smirk disappeared a second later, an assault of emotions hitting her, making her unable to continue with her attack.

Heart racing unbearably fast, her face flaming with the intensity of flames itself, and her stomach flipping mercilessly making it hard for her lungs to draw air. All of this havoc was created from one simple look into Al's incredibly warm brown eyes. Elora's shyness and nervousness hit at once, causing her to scramble back, and release her prey.

_What is happening to me?!_

Al noticed the change at once, confused by it, but he wasn't going to allow her to have the upperhand once again. He went to strike, Elora panicking and narrowly blocking the spear from lightly piercing her shoulder. The tip of the blade broke the skin, a ruby droplet beeding to the surface, and running down her bare arm.

Al froze at the sight of her life-esscence, waiting it cascade to the earth, and the unthinkable happened. He staggered back, dropping his weapon, and then dropping to his knees and grasping her arm. Elora blushed and didn't know how to react, especially as Al went to rip off a piece of his shirt.

She sent him flying with a blast of wind before he could, sending him rolling across the ground. Ed noticed this occurance, thrown off his own guard by his brother's actions, and this allowed Archer to managed a blow across his shoulder blades. Ed gasped out in shock and pain, having the inkling there was going to be a nasty bruise there in the morning, and he managed to knock Archer back.

"This ends now!" Ed snarled.

His blade clashed with Archer's, cracks appearing along the stone weapon as Ed's assualts became merciless. Archer staggered against the blows, trying to parry the blond back, but it was becoming futile with every blow.

Gray eyes widened as the sword broke, shattering into a thousand pieces of rubble, and falling to the ground. Ed smirked as he held the blade to Archer's throat, the flame alchemist backed against a tree.

"Give up, Archer. I win."

A small smirk appeared on said boy's lips. "So you have, Mr. Elric."

Ed pulled back and chuckled, "That was great… except for Al freaking out. Where'd he go anyway?"

"Um, over here!" Elora squeaked, nearly over the semi-conscious boy. "I think my blast may've given him a concussion…"

"That's what he gets over freaking out over such a small cut." Ed rolled his eyes. "Sometimes I worry my brother's too soft."

Archer was quiet as he knelt beside Al, lightly tapping the boy's cheeks until the disorientation passed. Al gave a small throaty groan before his eyesight became focused, the first thing he saw being Elora. He immediately shot up, conking heads with the brunette, and falling backwards again while she clutched her throbbing forehead.

"Idiot…" Ed sweatdropped.

Archer stood up and dusted off his pants, "I'm going to get more firewood."

Ed quickly followed, "I'm coming with."

Al slowly sat back up, pressing the heel of his hand to the red mark now marring his forehead, and he gave a sheepish laugh and a timid apology. Elora blinked away her pain-induced tears and winced out a reply.

"You had me, Lor. You could've done some major damage…" Al said quietly after a few moments of awkward silence. "Why did you stop…?"

Elora bit her lip and confused, "I don't know..."

Al hugged himself and said, "Just like I don't know why I freaked out over seeing you bleed…"

"It's just a small cut, Alphonse. See, it's already scabbing."

"It just made me think of Amelia… of the promise I made to her."

"Promise?"

Al took a deep breath, "I promised to keep you safe and never let you get hurt."

Elora felt a rush of flattery and a little annoyance.

"I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."

Al chuckled and closed his eyes, "I can tell."

She was an independent spirit, never to be tamed by anyone or anything. That was one of the many things Al had grown to admire about Elora. She was different from the other girls, and held her ground.

He liked that about her.

"Um… we better make sure we have water to put out the fire." Elora quickly stood up and walked away, embarrassed.

Al watched her before wordlessly following.

And as he did so, he wondered just how long her true feelings in this world had been silent.

* * *

**ETP: Mwhahaha. A perfect dose of action, humor, and torment of the characters.**

**PK: And fluff! I adored the Elora/Al bits.**

**ETP: Thank you! And I adored the humor! Haha, so funny! Gotta love tormenting Ed!**

**PK: So please review! Thanks ^^**


	6. Chapter 6

**ETP: Alright so now for the introduction of the antagonists!**

**PK: (cheers)**

**Disclaimer: Of course we own FMA! …Not.**

* * *

Chapter VI

Loss and Gain

Sitting in a small restaurant, the group had just eaten their fill, Edward handing over the money for the bill reluctantly. Alphonse made a slight giggle and exited out into the streets. They were in a relatively small town settled in Wales.

Children were playing in the roads, the wind was crisp and light, the entire setting was very calm. The other three emerged from the restaurant behind him; he turned around, and found himself nose to nose with Elora. The two blushed and jumped apart quickly. Al adverted his gaze to his feet as Elora's eyes trailed off the other direction.

"So, I've been… wondering." Ed started off.

"You've been doing that quite frequently lately, how shocking." Elora let of a snide remark.

Ed shrugged off the retort, but still sent a death glare Elora's way, "What were you two doing before you found Al and me?"

Archer spoke in his proper manner, "Looking for other alchemists. We searched towns all across the country. Couldn't very well do this on our own, eh?"

"Oh… that would make sense…" Ed trailed off.

An enthusiastic sales woman approached Archer and Ed, "Would you fine gentlemen like some milk? Half off, special sale!"

Ed's eyes bulged at the site of the white substance and he sent the milk flying with a kick, "TRYING TO POISON ME!"

"B-Brother!" Al gasped.

"Gentlemen isn't exactly the word for this one." Archer muttered and gave a look at the blond.

"GET IT AWAY!"

Another container of milk went flying into the air, as the crestfallen woman had tried to sell her goods to Elora. Archer and Alphonse sweatdropped, before the auburn-haired adolescent face-palmed at his best friend's actions.

"Here, I think this should be retribution for what my comrades have destroyed." Archer said remorsefully as he handed the woman a sizeable amount of money.

She made a face and turned curtly away.

"That wasn't very nice, Brother." Al scolded his older sibling.

"Didn't you see her? I could've been killed." Ed shuddered at the thought of milk.

Elora shuddered as well, "I felt my stomach churn just upon the smell of it."

Shaking their heads, Al and Archer exchanged a glance and a sigh, before leading the two of them. Once again, the group set off to find a place to rest for the night. They had been journeying for quite some time and it would have been a nice change to sleep in a bed instead of on river banks and on the hard ground.

They checked in at a rinky-dink inn at the edge of town. Ed immediately sprang for the bed he would share with Al and fell asleep; sprawled out with his stomach exposed within a matter of seconds, a usual trait for the blond while he slumbered.

"I'll be back,"

Archer left to go scout out the town for information, leaving Elora and Al the only two left.

"Um, so, do you want to go for a stroll?" Al asked awkwardly.

Elora felt her face burning, "Um, sure."

They stepped out into the town, walking side-by-side with Elora's hands crossed behind her back. He watched her out of the corner of his eyes, feeling his face flushing with every footstep. He noticed the breeze teased her chestnut brown locks, and he had also noticed that she had been wearing her hair pulled back more often since their moment by the river several weeks ago.

"So what's our next target?" Al said, trying to make conversation.

"We're not sure," Elora replied, "I'm waiting for Archer to get the information and the whatnot before we decide which of the twelve we're going after next."

A horn honked and Al quickly grabbed Elora's arm, jerking her out of the way of an oncoming car. Elora blushed as she was pressed against Al's chest, her hands gripping the front of his shirt. Their gazes collided as a deep blush crossed their faces. Elora was about to step back, but Al grabbed her hand, blushing still.

"Hey, they're selling flowers." Al said, avoiding her eyes, and pulling her over to the cart.

Elora looked at them, "How pretty..."

A determined look spread across Al's face before he pulled out the remains of his money, and paid for the remaining calla lily. Al had a wide smile etched on his face, holding out the flower to her. Elora simply stared at it, eyes wide and face red.

"W-What's this for?"

"I just wanted to see you smile," Al whispered, before tucking the flower behind her ear, his fingertips brushing lightly against her face.

A smile did appear, one that was wide and bright, lighting up Elora's face and her eyes dancing in the sunlight. The amethyst shade was looking more violet than blue almost instantly.

Elora felt her heart skip a beat before taking Al's hand, "Let's have some fun."

Smiling, the two alchemists laughed and headed through the small town.

* * *

Archer was exhausted. He had been out for two hours searching for any signs of any possible leads to one of the stones. He came up with nothing, and he felt very much the opposite of victorious.

Sick of walking around a town that had no answers, Archer turned to head back to the inn, not before picking up a local paper to read, since the town also lacked any form of intelligent literature. As he turned the pages he felt a smirk form on his lips.

At last, his searching had ended.

* * *

Meanwhile, Elora and Al had found their way back to the hotel, they had just spent the last couple of hours mulling around town, gawking at the extravagant shops, and people watching. When they got inside their room, neither was surprised to find Ed still sleeping.

"Typical," Al whispered as he let off a faint smile.

Elora glanced at Al. They were alone for the most part, for the blond on the bed was dead to the world. Her heart had quickened its beats exceedingly.

"A-Alphonse… d-do y-you…" Elora stuttered and trailed off.

_Do you like me? _

She wanted desperately to know if the young man in front of her did harbor some sort of feelings for her, but her nerves and fears made her decide to not finish her sentence.

Al turned toward her, brown eyes dancing in curiosity and lighting up the moment they were on Elora, and their faces were inched apart. They just stared into each other's eyes for an endless moment, finding themselves silently captivated. The door opening jerked them back to attention.

Suddenly, Archer walked through the door, a black and white newspaper having consumed his vision and his thoughts, the two quickly separated just in time for Archer to glance up.

"Elora, look at this." Archer beckoned his companion to his side.

Elora, still red-faced, trotted toward Archer. She followed his finger as it pointed towards an article. Seeing the picture beside of it, she hastily read it.

"What is it?" Al, his curiosity getting the best of him, asked.

Ed started to grudgingly rise from the bed, the sound of the door opening having awakened the exhausted and slightly grumpy blond, and he found the three alchemist eyes buried deep in print in front of the door.

"What's going on?"

He slammed his feet on the floor and stood up with a stretch.

"Brother, the next stone." Al murmured between his teeth.

Ed, sick of no replies, waltzed over and snatched the paper out of Archer's hands.

On the front, in big bold letters, it read:

Lady Evelyn due to marry  
On the right, is a picture of our fair Lady Evelyn and her new husband to be.  
Madam Evelyn, being the woman who came to our town and brought it back  
from the brink with her wealth, has found love in a young man named Ryan.  
The two met a couple of years ago, it wasn't a surprise when their marriage was  
announced, they were always seen together. Ryan, had recently purchased a  
clean, uncut diamond, and gave that to our lovely Evelyn in place of a conventional  
Ring. (continued on page A6)

Beside the article was a picture of the two, with the diamond in the woman's hands. Evelyn was a tall shapely woman, with lovely features. Her hair fell in blond ringlets to her shoulder blades. She had an obviously false smile plastered on her face

Beside of her stood her fiancé, Ryan. He was a stout, strong looking man, with a scar that obstructed his eye. His hair was very curly and black, pulled back into a long ponytail. The two looked very odd together, like they didn't match. Their expressions didn't help the fact either.

"So, we're going after this rock, eh?" Ed let off a sly grin. "Pretty ritzy couple… Let's do it."

Al was pale with eyes wide, "Stealing from Rosenburg was one thing, since the garnet was technically Lor's, but we're not thieves!"

Elora sweatdropped.

That was the one thing about Al that bugged her. He was a worry wart and hesitated when it came to petty things such as thievery. It wasn't as if they were killing anyone to get the items needed for the neo-philosopher's stone, as she had dubbed it.

"Fine then, you can sit here and keep the beds warm." Archer replied indigently. "Elora and I shall retrieve the diamond."

Ed glanced at his brother, "Alphonse, c'mon, this woman doesn't even need it."

Al bit his lip, "Well…"

"Please?" Elora simply whispered.

Hopeful gold and amethyst eyes locked on him, and Al finally sighed, before he gave a nod, giving in. Archer smiled before he tossed the newspaper down on the bed, the false smiles of Evelyn and Ryan looming up at them as the last rays of day disappeared.

* * *

The windows of the manor were dark, the gate surrounding the estate high. Crouched in the darkness, in the brushes lining the gates, the four adolescents held their breaths as the security guard at the entrance started to nod off. For the past hour they had waited for the lights in the manor to go out, scouting the area and waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

"Two of us should stay here and keep an eye out." Ed whispered in a very soft tone the moment the guard had fallen asleep at his post. "Al, I know you're uneasy about this."

Al gave a nod, "Elora, want to stay with me?"

Archer intervened, "Elora's the one with the lock picking skills. If anyone should go, it should be Ed and her."

"You have lock picking skills?"

"How else did I escape from my boarding school?" Elora grinned before she look at the others, "Archer, Al, we'll be back in an hour tops."

The two gave a nod. Ed and Elora went to move, to scale the wall and get on the estate, but Al's hand snatched the brunette's shoulder. Blushing, Elora glanced at him over her shoulder, noticing the fear in his eyes.

"Be safe… both of you."

Elora reached back, squeezing his hand tenderly. "We will. Promise."

Ed rolled his eyes, "C'mon, we're wasting time."

Nodding, the two quickly hurried to the gate, pressing against it, before Ed gave Elora a boost. Gray and brown eyes watched through the brush, watching as the two figures darted across the grounds. They held their breath as Elora and Ed disappeared from sight through a back window.

"Do you think we should worry?" Al whispered.

Archer glanced at him, "Have you lost faith in your brother?"

Al shook his head; "Of course not… it's just…" he trailed off and looked down.

"Elora will be fine."

Al blushed and looked away, not saying a word. Archer gave a sigh, eyebrows slanting as he closed his eyes. Al blinked when Archer suddenly gripped his arm.

"You don't have to hide it. I may not have much experience myself, but I'm not naïve. It's quite apparent that you're developing feelings for Elora."

"Wha-what? I am not." Al stuttered through flaming red cheeks.

"Fine, it'll only be a matter of time before you can't hold it in any longer."

Archer closed one of his eyes and glanced his left one directly at Alphonse. He was luring Al right where he wanted him. Al needed to confide in someone, and Archer had a feeling that person should not be Ed.

Ed's reaction alone would ruin any confidence that Al may hold when it came to Elora. They were both shy in a lot of ways, but Al needed to be the stronger one, especially if a relationship was going to develop.

"…Do you think she likes me?" Al managed to say after a few awkward minutes of silence.

"I've known Elora for a very long period of my life, and if I'm sure of anything, it's that she has a thing for you."

Archer gave Alphonse a wide smile, and moved his hand to his shoulder. The two males shared a small brotherly like moment, before the realization of the circumstances they were in made them crash back to reality.

"It's been a while; do you think they're alright?"

It had been at least thirty minutes since Ed and Elora had snuck off into the darkness, and the air started to become tense. Both boys grew increasingly worried as time crept by, and every rustle in the darkness gave them false hope that it was their respected siblings.

"Follow me, Alphonse. Time for an investigation of our own." Archer gave a sharp, false smile, and whisked Al towards the ominous manor in the distant.

* * *

Carefully, Ed and Elora had made their way inside of the manor. The two had barely made it inside when a young woman with long pale blond ringlets of shiny, well kept hair appeared in the hallway. A surge of fear jolted through the duo, and they quickly found a nice curtain to hide behind.

The click-clack of the blond's heels echoed loudly in the spacious hallway. She was a curvy, voluptuous woman, with cold, sharp gray eyes. She was whispering something to herself, in a language the two did not understand.

A few seconds later, a man followed her path. He was burly and gruff, with a jagged scar that tainted his face. He had curly, straggly, long black hair that rested in a ponytail to his back. He shouted to the woman, his voice demanding respect.

"Evelyn, did you know… we have visitors tonight?"

"I wasn't aware. Have you found them, Ryan?" the two grew closer, and their voices dimmed.

"No, a guard caught them sneaking in somewhere near here, he wanted to capture them himself, but I though you'd like to… play with them." he gave a vicious, nasty grin.

"You know me too well. Come with me, we'll find them."

She curtly turned on her heel, and the two dark figures faded into the black. Elora and Ed held their breath. They had come dangerously close to the people they were about to steal from, and the couple did not seem pleasant.

"Where do we go from here? This place is huge?" Ed hissed as he stepped out from behind the silk curtain that he had been concealing himself in seconds before.

"Two stories up, the library."

"How do you know this?" Ed stared at her in amazement.

"Archer figured it out. The picture from the paper was in their house, in a place full of books. There was an obviously concealed safe to the left of the picture. When we got here, I saw the library on the third story." Elora explained in a low whisper.

She gave him a devious wink and started to walk. Ed followed the thin female towards the end of the hall. There, lying ominously in the distant, were the ashen stone stairs. They spiraled in a twisting fashion upwards and downwards, and Elora hastily sprinted to them.

"Elora, be a little quieter, they're looking for us!" Ed whispered.

Elora gave him a wink, "Wow, Ed, you seemed a little like an adult there for a second. Actually caring about my well being a little bit?"

Ed's temper began to rise.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING LITTLE! A MIDGET! A DWARF!"

"I didn't say that." Elora muttered after she rolled her eyes and began her climb up the stairs.

The duo had reached the library, and set their eyes upon the largest assortment of books they had ever come upon. Shelves lined the floors in long, numerous patterns. A wide range of arm chairs and obscure paintings made up the decorating of the gigantic space.

Old, dusty books rested side by side in the wooden cell-like shelves. Their pages were worn and dirty, and if opened, one could speculate that they would smell of dirt and must. A yellowing tinge was set on the most worn out books, and it was obvious that the vast majority were not used.

Elora walked the halls, darting in and out between the aisles, sending looks of aw at the towering size of the shelves, and also trying to find the small, charcoal safe hidden within the walls.

"Hey! There are books about alchemy over here!" Ed's voice rang throughout the large library.

"Seems like they're collectors, they probably don't even understand half of the books they have. Hell, they probably haven't even read a fraction of them at all." Elora called back to him.

Elora could feel it; she was getting closer to the safe. Her eyes focused on the walls, watching for any signs of a protruding crack.

She found it. Her face lit up, and she bolted to the area. Slipping her small fingers in the crack, she managed to wiggle the door free, and behind it loomed the safe, just as Archer had predicted.

"ED! I FOUND IT!"

Seconds later Ed arrived by her side, panting for breath. "Can you pick it?" he inquired, raising his eyebrow at her.

"I can pick any lock."

She gave him a look of superiority, and began to work her magic. Within seconds, the small chirp of a piece of metal clicking against another reached Ed's ears, and he turned around to find Elora elbow deep within the safe. She pulled out an ugly, sparkling clear rock. She grinned from ear-to-ear.

"Got it!"

Ed nodded his head at her, and the two knew words didn't need to be exchanged here. All they had to do was get out safely, and they were home free.

"Ah, I think I found our little friends, dear."

A cold voice rang throughout the spacious library, and Ed and Elora clammed up in fear. Out behind one of the shelves, the familiar curvy lady stepped out. She had a sinister gaze in her eyes, and her lips formed a tight purse.

"Intruders, how typical. You'd think we'd get something more entertaining than diamond snatchers." the woman spouted, with a dull look.

A thick man waltzed into the scene, and took his place beside his bride to be. His grin was even more sinister than her gaze, and his scarred eye squinted at the situation.

"A couple of kids? Disappointing."

A long silence followed Ryan's comment. The two parties stood opposite of each other, all four starring. Seconds slipped by, minutes. Finally, Evelyn's face changed slightly in the dark.

"Be gone, leave this place. You can take that piece of trash with you too, not like I need it."

The woman leaned to the side, forming a small gap between her and Ryan, just enough room for Ed and Elora to pass through. Elora stood motionless. She feared the worst, and wasn't quite sure how to take the actions performed by the female across from her. Ed moved first.

"Come on, let's leave." he whispered in her ear, pulling her arm along with him as he scrunched between the couple.

Just as they thought they had escaped the couple's grasp, Evelyn reached out and grabbed Elora's left wrist, and eyed her transmutation circle. A half faced smile spread across her face.

"Ryan, grab the boy."

In one swift move, Evelyn had restrained Elora, and Ryan had wrapped his giant arms around Ed. Evelyn shouted something in the strange language from before, and soon three men dressed in white had come and taken Elora and Ed, and started to drag them towards the door.

"Let us go! What's going on!"

"You're alchemists. Did you think I wouldn't recognize the symbol on your wrist, Girly? But there is a difference between you two. That boy is from Shamballa, and you must have gained your abilities from someone else."

"How do you know this?" Ed shouted at Evelyn.

The foul woman just gave a smirk, and with an off-handed voice, she spouted an order towards the men in white.

"Take them to the holding rooms; we'll have some fun later."

And with that, Ed and Elora were dragged off, their screams muffled by their captor's hands. Evelyn and Ryan trotted off in the other direction, heels clacking against the marble floor.

* * *

Archer had braced the window with his slim fingers, allowing Al to tumble clumsily inside, and for himself to follow afterwards. The two males were breathing heavily. Archer was leaned slightly over, resting his hands on his knees.

"Didn't know they… had guard… dogs." Al puffed through his short breaths. "Running was a whole lot easier when I didn't have a body."

Archer let off a slight chuckle. Within the month or so that Elora and he had met the brothers they had shared their entire past with each other; Ed and Al had recited their eventful journey to search for the philosopher's stone, and Archer and Elora's history with foster parents and alchemist scouting. Of course, Archer still couldn't remember his life in Shamballa; he doubted if he ever would.

"Come on, Al. Something fishy is going on here, I can just feel it."

Al didn't need a second opinion, because he had learned Archer's 'feelings' were always correct.

Elora's body hit the cold floor with a loud thud. The men in white had brought them to their holding place, but not before roughing the duo up a bit. Her nose was trickling blood, and she could see in the corner of her eye that Edward's lip was busted.

"Slimy bastards. Who do they think they are?" He scoffed into his sleeve as he wiped the blood from his chin.

Elora stood up, staggering at first, but soon regaining her ability to support herself. She gazed in awe at the room she was placed inside. It was a tiny, white room, with a tall ceiling, a window rested at the back, and the only other exit was the door they had just came through.

"Is your alchemy gone too?" Ed gave her a stony expression.

Elora stared wide eyed, and clapped her hands together, but nothing new was produced. She frowned, feeling hopeless.

"Who are these people Edward? How do they know about alchemy?" she adverted her stare towards the floor, eyeing her boots.

"I'm not sure, but I know one thing, I'm not staying here to find out. We got what we came for, you still have the diamond. I say we bust out this window, and get the hell out of here."

He gave her one of his Ed-like smiles, which caused her to giggle.

"Okay, let's do this."

Ed rose from the floor, and began to walk towards the window. Suddenly, the door began to creak open, and standing in the frame were Evelyn and Ryan.

"Trying to escape?" she let off a crooked grin. "Ryan, take the boy to the other chamber, we'll torture them separately."

Ryan did as his fiancée commanded, and soon Ed lost sight of Elora, and all he could hear were her shrieks of pain. The brute man had thrown Ed into a room identical to the last one he inhabited. Within seconds he was ramming his overly large boot into Ed's side, furiously kicking his stomach.

"Dammit!" Ed barely let that exclamation of pain escape his lips.

Minutes passed by, and all Ryan continued to do was shove his foot into Ed's chest, constantly sending surges of pain throughout his body.

Consciousness was something that was slipping from his grasp.

* * *

Elora gave a shriek of pain as she was forcefully dragged across the floor by Evelyn, the blond woman smiling sadistically down at her. Wide and horrified amethyst eyes reflected in the silver blade of the knife held inches away from her face as she was released, dropping to the floor.

She couldn't move as she slowly looked up at Evelyn's face.

Her screams of protest were practically silent.

* * *

Ed could barely move. His body had undergone such a beating, every breath he drew made shearing agony pierce his entire being. Gold eyes glossed over with tears with pain.

"Sir Ryan?" a voice dropped into the dreary occasion.

"Finnigan? What is it?" Ryan's husky voice addressed the small young male clad in white.

Finnigan sunk back into the wall, obviously scared of a punishment that might befall him. "We have more intruders sir. We need your help, they're eluding our capture."

"Amateurs," Ryan hissed under his breath and he ceased kicking Ed, and wisped out the door. "Watch him."

With Ryan gone, Ed knew it was time to cease his chance. He waited long enough for Ryan to get out of earshot, and began to take action. Finnigan was much smaller than Ryan, and it seemed to Ed, he would be much easier to overcome. Finnigan turned away, for only a second, and turned back around to find a metal leg connect with the side of his face. He was out.

Ed grinned at his handiwork and sprinted down the hallway, to Elora's chamber. No noise came from inside, he kick the door open to find the poor girl he knew as his friend lying on the floor, her blouse completely wrapped around her head. She wasn't moving, arms locked around her head.

"Elora, let's go!" Ed hissed frantically, shaking her gently.

Slowly, Elora sat up and shot him a look, and quickly got to her feet. Ed didn't even look over his shoulder as he exited the room and ran for the stairs, soon he was on the first floor, and even though his body ached, and begged him for rest, he continued to run. Then he found himself face to face with another human, and the two rammed into each other and toppled to the floor.

"Ow, dammit! Archer?"

He grasped his stomach with his arms. He stared into the glassed gaze of Archer Bathory. His younger brother Alphonse loomed behind his companion.

"Brother! What happened?"

"No time to explain, Al! C'mon, we have to get out of here."

He looked behind Al, and saw the door standing just yards away.

Al's voice stopped him. "Where's Lor?"

Shock filled Edward. He turned around to find Elora no longer behind him.

"Dammit! I can't believe I lost her. Al, we have to go back, come on!" Ed stood up, but doubled over in pain.

"No need to come find me, I'm right here, Ed." Elora said in a deadpan tone as she emerged from the doorway Ed had just emerged from himself.

"What's wrong with you, Lor?" Al had reached her in seconds. "Why are you hiding your head?" He reached out and grabbed the white blouse tied around her head.

A broken whisper fell from her lips, "Alphonse, don't."

Tears began to fill her eyes, and she tried to pull away. Al had a better grip, and ripped the white fabric from her head. Three gasps were heard in the entryway.

Standing before them was a battered Elora. However, on top of her heed no longer rested the long brown locks that used to lie there, but shaggy and short choppy hair that was severely uneven. It fell around her face, as short as Al's in the back.

"I didn't want you to see me like this, Al. I'm hideous." Elora reached for her blouse, desperation clinging to her face.

Ed was aghast, "That bitch, she cut off all your hair!"

Tears began to fall rapidly from her saddened now sapphire eyes, her body shaking.

"Elora…" Al whispered softly, his voice sincere. "You don't look hideous. I think you look beautiful, full head of hair, or even a short haircut." He embraced her with a tight hug, and she felt warm in her stomach.

"Come on you two, we have to get out of here!" Ed shouted, ruining the moment.

"He is right, it's not very wise to stay here, and patrolmen are searching for us."

Archer's word was final, and the four friends bolted out the front door of the mansion, none looking back.

**

* * *

**

ETP: Oh-em-gee, sorry for the long delay.

**PK: Ani had to take a break or her brain was gonna explode…**

**ETP: So he came to my aid and wrote most of the ending.**

**PK: PLEASE REVIEW!**

**ETP: Thanks for all the amazing support guys! FMA FOREVER!**


	7. Chapter 7

**ETP: Alright, let's progress shall we?**

**PK: Thank you for all the great feedback. We hope this story doesn't disappoint your expectations.**

**ETP: So let's get on with it!**

**Disclaimer: Despite the fact we adore this anime with all our hearts, it doesn't belong to us. We do however pay our gratitude to the wonderful creator of this wonderful anime. X3**

* * *

Chapter VII

Raven's Cry

The dark bruises that marred their bodies finally seemed to fade to the sick shade of yellow after a few weeks on the road. Archer and Alphonse weren't entirely sure what exactly had happened when the dastardly couple had tormented Ed and Elora. They weren't even sure what motive the couple had when they had delivered the torture to the two young alchemists. The beatings they had endured were far worse than for a crime of thievery.

What surprised the two of them even more was that the couple allowed Ed and Elora keep the rugged, uncut diamond. It was now in the thick, leather bag tied securely to Archer's belt loop with the garnet. Only ten more of the twelve remained, plus the Dragon's Heart, which they were going to retrieve last.

Silence had befallen Elora. She rarely spoke anymore. Al was losing himself to constant worry, aching for the memories to be reborn of the late night talks deep into the night that had been shared between them. Whenever they weren't on the road, she would do her share for setting up camp, and then go to rest without a single word.

"Ravens…"

It had been the first word she had uttered all day, speaking in a whisper that sent a strange chill down Al's spine. They froze on the forest trail, a light mist dusting the ground and wrapping around the trunks of trees, which were bare and dark like ebony. Their footsteps squished against the moss that covered the trail as they looked up, locking their gazes on the four ravens crowing in the treetops.

"Scared?" Al asked softly.

She shook her head, uneven locks shifting with the movement. Archer moved to speak for her, something he had been doing more and more often over the days.

"She likes ravens. It is true that in folklore that ravens are the harbingers of death and bad omens, but we believe otherwise. They are magnificent creatures who had misjudged just by what they are."

"Sounds like similar judgments with people…" Ed murmured, glancing down at his automail.

Elora lowered her head and started to move again. The raven's cry echoed through the woodland as she passed underneath them. Al jolted and took off after her, catching up and walking side-by-side. Gold and gray eyes met for a split second, before they followed the short-haired girl's lead.

"We should make camp… it's getting too dark to see. And we don't know these woods' terrain." Archer called up to Elora, who finally stopped walking. "I know you just want to reach the border, but we do need to rest… Al looks ready to fall over."

Al quickly tried to hide how tired and short of breath he was, "A-Am not!"

Ed laughed lightly, pulling Al close in a one-armed hug, and poking his cheek with his metal finger. Archer had to stifle a chuckle at the expression on Al's face while Elora stoically watched with dull eyes.

"Come on, Al, don't try and act all manly and such when we all know you're a big softie."

Al blushed into his shirt as he swiftly turned from Elora's sight. Elora, noticing this, almost formed a smile on her lightly colored lips, but held it back. She wasn't ready to smile.

Behind her, Archer had already created a nice warm fire that rested cozily in the soft earth. Slumping slowly, he rested himself onto the soil, enjoying the comfort of relaxing. Ed took a seat beside him, with Alphonse squatting across from the two, and Elora staying in her place, continuing to stand, despite the long hike they had just taken.

"Archer, you don't talk much about yourself." Al inquired as he leaned back and fell hard on the dirt.

"Well, as you know, I've not exactly retained all – most – of my memories from Shamballa." Archer shifted his gray eyes towards his rough hands.

It was true, in the few months the group had gotten to know each other he had not talked much about himself. What was there to say? Since his arrival in Elora's world, the most interesting thing that had happened was meeting the girl herself. He shifted through his own dark memories, trying to find snippets of a past long forgotten. This is why he held the alchemy text left behind by Arthur so close to himself.

It reminded him of home.

"All I can remember is my name. Archer Bathory. I can also remember the use of alchemy, obviously, and the fact that fire is an element I've been well suited with... There's something else, something I'm not even sure is real or not. It's a young girl, with blond pigtails. She's crying… I can see the terror in her face… That's it."

The scene became quite stagnant, as the group fell into awkward silence, Elora still standing off on her own, eyeing the trio somberly. Brown eyes glanced over at the standing girl, flickering in worry in the flame's light.

"Lor, want some bread? It was baked with honey in it, just like what Aunt Pinako used to make."

Elora hesitated before she finally settled herself on the ground, beside Ed, who raised an eyebrow at this. Usually he sat inbetween Al and Archer, and Elora usually sat close to Al. Tonight, however, was different.

Al handed her a piece of the loaf, which she took with a silent nod, and started to nibble on slowly. Archer gave a soft sigh before he stood up, brushing off his pants lightly.

"We'll be needing some water and more firewood."

"I think I saw a creek nearby, or at least I heard it." Al piped up. "I'll come with you and help."

He had an ulterior motive for wanting to go with Archer. He wanted to question him about Elora's behavior. The flame alchemist gave a slight nod before the two made to leave the encampment.

Archer and Alphonse were both relatively quiet as they trotted off into the woody terrain in search of materials. Alphonse shot Archer a glance every so often, wanting to open his mouth, but afraid to. He wasn't sure how to put what he wanted to ask into the right words. He clasped his hands together, and slowly brought the words that he wanted to inquire towards his tongue.

"A-Archer... um... c-can I... er..." Al fidgeted slightly, rocking on the balls of his feet.

"Please, Alphonse, just spit it out." Archer gave a small smile towards the other adolescent.

"...is... this behavior... a b-bad thing... when it comes to... Elora?"

"…depends on what exactly you mean by... bad." Archer said, carefully choosing his words, as not to further worry the young Elric. "Elora has been known to become recluse when bad things happen to her. She doesn't know how to deal with very emotional events that well, and what happened to her and Edward was an event such as that."

Alphonse adverted his gaze towards the forest floor, which was slowly creeping by underneath them. "So, what... will happen to her?"

"You have to let Elora work this out on her own; she'll definitely come around soon. It's something that she feels she must deal with by herself."

"Sure." Al muttered off-handedly, continuing his gaze at the ground, staring much more fiercely than he meant.

"Ah, here's the stream you mentioned."

Archer quickly changed the tone of his voice, and became the much more airy, and feminine like person he usually was. Al rubbed his arm as he watched, then voicing the thought that was echoing loudly in his mind.

"How is it I miss her... and she hasn't even gone anywhere?"

"Love can do that to a person." Archer answered with a devious smile.

"L-Love? What are you talking about?" Alphonse demanded as he dropped the wood he had just picked up, and stiffed up his body, staring wide-eyed.

"Did I say that? Must have been an absent minded mistake." Archer shot another one of those smiles, and bent down to fill up the water canisters in the stream.

Al was breathing heavily now, his chest rising and falling rapidly as his heart thundered lethally against his ribcages, so furiously he feared it would burst right through his chest. He felt scared, exposed for some reason. Archer's words had his mind and thoughts whirling, incomprehensible at all.

Was what he was feeling really what Ed felt for dear, sweet Winry back in the home that had been wrenched from two years ago...?

Not like he hadn't thought about it. He had grown very attached to the young alchemist since their first meeting in that dank hotel room doorway, and the thoughts and dreams he had about her weren't always friend based. That didn't mean he was _in _love with her though, did it?

Yes, Alphonse Elric held some sort of desire and attachment for Elora Belvidere, but why did he react to Archer's deduction that what he was feeling was due to something as strong and serious as love itself?

Was it something he subconsciously knew, but couldn't admit to himself yet?

Al's head was racked with emotions and thoughts, and it began to hurt as he tried to mentally track down his own feelings. Maybe time was something that had to help soothe out this situation on its own. Al wasn't sure.

"Alphonse, breathe."

Wide and frantic brown eyes were staring into shades of gray a moment later, feeling Archer's gloved hands gripping his shoulders gently.

"Take deep, slow, steady breaths. Calm yourself."

Al shook his head from side-to-side, taking in a slow breath, resting his vision back on Archer.

Archer gave a half smile. "If I knew you were going to react this way, I wouldn't have even said the word lo – well that word." He looked down at the fallen firewood, slowly stooping down to retrieve it with shaking hands. "Seems like an ample amount, I've got the canteens all filled up, shall we head back?" Archer glanced sideways at his friend.

Giving a shaky nod, Al turned to walk beside Archer, his mind and heart trying to grasp the concept of what had been said.

* * *

"Don't move." Ed cautioned, tightening the bandages around the wound on the back of Elora's shoulder.

She wordlessly clutched her clothing to her exposed chest, wincing silently at every tug and pull Ed made as he bandaged her up. She refused to let Archer or Al attend to her anymore. It made her heart break everytime she looked into their eyes afterward, seeing the pain they felt at the sight of her wounds.

It had been an awkward request; nonetheless Ed hid his emotions, completely cut himself off whenever he treated her wounds and re-bandaged them.

"...Thanks." she murmured once he was finished.

Ed turned his back on her so she could pull her tank and blouse back on, covering the bandages from his view. A strange chill spread across his body when her fingers suddenly tugged his hair free from the long ponytail he wore it in, freeing the golden strands, and running through them.

"H-Hey! What are you doing?"

He glanced over his shoulder and saw a little life back in her eyes, "You should let me braid it... like how you used to wear it. It'll be easier to manage then..."

Ed blinked, seeing something in her eyes as her fingers continued to run through his golden blond locks with a surprising tenderness.

"...Go ahead. I'm not gonna stop you. If it makes you happy, and all."

Elora's breath hitched in surprise at his kindness, before she smiled just a little. Her hands moved slowly, crossing the strands of hair as she braided it slowly and precisely. That's how Archer and Al found them upon returning.

Archer let a quick smile escape him. The sight – awkward as it might seem to an outsider – was quite tender. He enjoyed seeing the two civil towards each other much more often lately, and he knew it was only because of the terrible event both had to endure together. Neither one of them had spoke much of what had happened, only that they got the diamond, and accomplished their goal.

Alphonse, however, felt somewhat opposite. He too was glad that Elora and his brother had been bickering less and less lately, but know matter how much he tried to put it out of his mind, he felt a tiny, very small twinge of jealousy at the two. He knew they were only acting brotherly and sisterly towards each other, but he couldn't help wanting to get that close to Elora himself, share those small moments that Ed – not meaning too – had stolen from him. He put the thought at the back of his mind; he felt guilty for it. He should feel nothing but joy that Elora got out safely, so the secret thought would stay locked up inside himself.

"How are your wounds? Healing alright?" Archer asked.

He began to boil some of the water they had retrieved, having splurged a little in the last town and gotten some green tea for them to enjoy. Elora absently touched her shoulder, glancing at Ed.

He spoke for her, "They're healing. In a couple more weeks they'll scar over."

"After tea, we should probably bathe and then rest. Perhaps have some combat training?" Archer glanced at Ed.

Ed gave a nod, "Sure thing. Al, Elora, wanna join us?"

Elora shook her head at once.

"I think I'll pass..." Al replied quietly.

"Fine, see you both in a while, then." Archer gave a curt grin, and he followed Ed into the forest towards an open field.

"So..." Al attempted to start up a conversation, as he drew a seat close towards Elora.

"What, Alphonse?" She muttered under her breath as she enclosed her arms around her knees, which were drawn towards her chest.

At least he was getting some sort of response...

"Why won't you talk to me, Lor?"

He ignored Archer's advice and decided to confront her with her problems, and try to help her with what plagued her.

"Maybe I'm not up to talking right now." she spat coldly towards her brown-eyed friend.

Al stiffened at these words, "Why not, Lor? Why won't you open up to me?" He hissed with a lover's scorn.

"So that's it? I haven't earned your trust? I'm not good enough like my brother for you to talk to?"

"Don't you dare compare yourself to your brother!"

"I wasn't!" Al was on his feet now, a dark look etched across his face.

Elora was standing up now too, her face inches way from his, "Is that it, hmm, Al? Always compared to your brother? Has that got you a bit hot under the collar?"

"How dare you! You don't know anything, you don't know who I am, what I've witnessed." Al was raising his voice now; tears started falling from his face.

Elora staggered back at the sight of them, cascading down his precious face and to the earth beneath their feet. A lump burned her throat, her own eyes filling with her own tears. She had gone and done it now, made Al cry.

"Exactly, I don't know who you are, and you want me to open up to you."

Elora felt sick at herself, how could she have said that to that face?

The very face that had been all that she could see when she had lied broken on that cold floor...

"I guess you're right... maybe I'm not worth your trust." Al took a step back, tears still searing his face, pain deep within his eyes.

She took a step forward, "N-No, A-Alphonse I... I didn't mean it like that!"

She was crying now, too. Tears falling from her eyes the same color of amethysts, one of the stones they were searching to find. Her irises were blending, violet and blue, Al unable to tell what color they were exactly.

Al gave a shaky small laugh, "Why...why are we doing this to ourselves?"

Elora was taken aback. She let her eyes grow wide, and felt fear surge throughout her frame. This emotion was the one she was trying to mask, the one she was trying to hold back, but it was coming forth like vomit, and her mouth was faster than her brain.

"Alphonse, I... I..."

He didn't let her finish. Elora gave a gasp as he snatched her wrist, his fingers clasping over the transmutation circle tattooed on it, and he tugged her forward. In that one instant, the unthinkable happened as he closed his eyes, covering her mouth with his in what was unmistakably a kiss.

Al didn't release her wrist, scared to let her go. She was returning the kiss, timidly of course, but the initial shock had immobilized her. Al finally pulled back, his lips lightly leaving hers softly.

"W-Why d-did you j-just...?"

Elora had wide eyes now, unable to believe the fact that Al had just kissed her.

Al licked his lips, still tingling lightly from being recently kissed.

"I..."

He knew exactly what he needed to tell her. That he cared for her more than a friend should. However, he couldn't bring the words to his tongue, to utter them.

He was terrified inside.

Never had Alphonse had to deal with emotions like these before. He didn't know what to do, what to say. Kissing Elora had been impulsive and thoughtless. Incredibly thoughtless and almost selfish.

"No answer..."

Al cringed a little at her tone, racked with evident pain.

"Everytime I ask anyone anything, they never have the real answers..."

Elora jerked back, jerking her head up, body shaking as she tried to suppress her sobs.

"Dammit, Alphonse, don't do this to me too! Don't toy with me! I'm not some naïve little girl like everyone believes I am!"

"Elora I'm not –"

"Don't give me this crap, don't do it to me."

Elora's sobs escaped her, and tears cascaded towards the forest floor, she turned away, ready to run.

Al grabbed her arm, "Elora, please! I'm not like the others! I don't want to hurt you! Not now, not ever! Because we're friends." Al choked out, "We're... close friends..."

"Close friends don't _kiss_!" Elora spat.

Al's lips trembled as he gulped, "I'm... sorry."

He didn't know what else to say.

"Forget it..." her voice was trailing off to a hoarse whisper, "I'm done..."

These words echoed throughout Al's mind. He felt as if his stomach were swelling up inside him. Tears found their way to his face again, and he reached out for Elora's wrist one last time as she turned away. He fell to hiss knees, still embracing her wrist.

Elora tilted her head to the side, and saw the tears flowing from him once again. The familiar twinge of guilt ate at her, and for once in her life, Elora followed her emotions. She leaned her head down to Al's, and returned the kiss from before.

"Don't cry..." Elora breathed, "Give me some time... to understand, okay? I'm... confused."

Al gave a nod, "I'm sorry..." he whispered again.

Elora hugged him tightly, burying her face into his shoulder. Al hesitated, his arms wrapping around her tightly, one pressed against the small of her back. The other rested against her shoulder-blades, his hand stroking the locks at the nape of her neck idly.

A rustling in the trees caught his attention, and he glanced up and saw Ed and Archer peering around the trunk of a tree. Elora caught sight of them too, and the two teenagers quickly parted, both wiping their faces vigorously.

"Did Al make you cry?" Archer inquired while Ed demanded, "You made my brother cry, didn't ya?"

Elora fell back onto the earth, being bombarded with questions too much for her in her current state. Thankfully, Al came to save the day.

"No one made anyone cry brother! We were... chopping a wild onion Elora found in the woods."

Al sweatdropped at his own lame excuse.

"Well, that seems just fine."

Archer and Edward both attempted to stifle their giggling.

"Al... Elora is allergic to onions."

"Archer, it was nothing, we're both alright. I promise." Elora interjected.

Archer noticed a dramatic change in her speech from before. Instincts hit him, and he knew it was best to leave the subject alone, at least for now. He dragged Edward along with him as he made way for the campfire, making sure the blond didn't do anything stupid.

It was nice seeing Elora acting a little more like her old self. He didn't want that to change.

Elora quickly followed back to the camp, plopping down in front of the fire, and then curling up in a small ball. Ed leaned against the base of the tree close by, legs crossed and arms behind his head as he chewed on a blade of wheat. Archer pulled out his alchemy text like as his nightly routine, glancing at Al from over his glasses a second after Elora had fallen asleep, along with Ed it appeared.

"Did something happen, Alphonse?"

Al just closed his eyes, not wanting to withhold the information from Archer, knowing that he probably already knew himself, but not wanting to come right out and say everything.

"Have you... come to terms with what I said earlier then?"

Al swallowed hard and gave a nod and whisper, "I... have."

"Then I hope your decision will be based on what you believe, not what you think I want you to believe, Alphonse."

"I know... that she means a lot to me... and that if anything ever happened to her like what happened to Mom... I'd be just as lost..."

In the shadows, neither noticed gold eyes opening slightly in shock at this confession.

"Then I'm going to assume what you've come to terms with is in fact what I said earlier."

Al leaned back and looked up at the raven above, staring down at him with red-violet eyes.

"That's exactly what you should assume, Archer..."

Silence came after the raven's cry.

**

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**

PK: YAY FOR ONE-DAY LATER UPDATES!

**ETP: REVIEW!**


	8. Chapter 8

**ETP: Some familiar faces are gonna be cropping up here soon :P**

**PK: Thanks Divine Child for reviewing. Please review guys!**

**Disclaimer: FMA, Ed, Al, Shamballa, and alchemy don't belong to us.**

* * *

Chapter VIII

Teacher

The dusty pages crinkled against one another as Archer turned each page. The sliding of paper on paper was the only sound the filled the silent void that was the nearest library they could find. Elora was crammed beside of him, settled in a wooden chair cozily. She rested her head on his shoulder, tired of the relentless searching their group had been doing the past two hours. Looking for a pure, uncut moonstone wasn't exactly the easiest thing to find, so they took shelter in a nearby town's library, huddled together in the dim, musky basement.

"Impatience isn't going to further the task, Elora." Archer sighed as the young female

"Quit talking like Arthur. I'm tired, how long does it take to search mineral books for a moonstone?"

Over in the corner, nestled in his own chair, sat Alphonse, breathing heavily, and pouring himself over a rather large text, full of pictures of stones. Every few minutes he let tiny glances escape and wander over to where Archer and Elora sat.

A twinge of jealous kept eating away at the young boy. Ever since the kiss, a slight awkward tension had come between them, creating a rift he couldn't get over no matter how hard he tried. It seemed until he sorted out his feelings and confusing thoughts, Al and Elora couldn't stabilize whatever relationship they had at the moment.

"There!" Elora exclaimed abruptly with excitement as she pointed to a rather odd looking stone in the book Archer was researching. "Found it!"

Archer praised his younger friend, "The moonstone. Good eye, Elora."

Elora paused, "Wait a sec..." she leaned in closer, amethyst eyes examining the picture of the moonstone intensely. "I think... I've seen this before..."

" Really? Where?" Archer looked bewildered.

Just as Elora was about to reveal her source, the doors to the library basement sprung open, and Edward Elric stomped in with a very Ed look about himself.

"Got the room, pretty cheap too. Did you guys find anything?" Ed toppled down beside Archer.

Al had finally stood up and approached the table, leaning over his brother's shoulder.

Archer replied indigently with, "Yes, it seems we have. Elora was about to explain where she has seen the stone before you arrived and interrupted."

"Well?" Ed pressed impatiently towards Elora.

Three pairs of eyes blinked at the pale expression on the brunette girl's face. She was trembling slightly as well. A single word fell from her lips in a shocked whisper as her eyes glossed over at the memory.

"Teacher..."

"Arthur?" Archer looked surprised

She shook her head, "No... not Arthur... Teacher." Elora said again, trying to make him understand. "The woman who taught me how to live again after I lost my parents. Teacher."

Archer's eyes grew wide. "You mean..."

"Yes, her." Elora replied.

"How did she get a moonstone?"

"It was a gift... I gave it to her. I found it while playing in the forest near the school... I found it in a cave I had stumbled upon. It took me forever to break it off the others, but it was so pretty I thought Teacher should have it, especially after all that she had done for me. I still feel bad about leaving her at school, but I didn't want to remain trapped there, forgotten about."

"You realize two out of the three stones we've searched for so far have belonged to you at one point? We should've just raided your bedroom." Ed let off with a chuckle.

"The garnet was a birthday present from one of my father's clients. A woman named Evely –" Elora cut herself off with a look of horror as the epiphany hit her. "It was... that woman... the same woman who..." her trembling fingers ran through her uneven and cut locks.

"No!" Archer gasped in horror.

"Hey, calm down. Breathe." Ed calmed her, grabbing her hand with his metal one.

"Okay, so basically we need to simply go back to your Teacher and ask her if she still has the stone, or maybe we can go to that cave." Al said with a smile.

Elora didn't even look at him, "The cave was caved in during a rockslide shortly before I left St. Jurgen's."

"Then it's to... her residence, right Elora?" Archer stated, lying his hand on hers.

"..."

They noticed she was fidgeting now.

"What now?" Ed almost groaned.

"...She lives at the school. The one I ran away from and broke out of."

Startled faces appeared from Ed and Al's direction.

Archer presumed his usually calm manner, and said, " No worries Elora, we're with you. I think your teacher will love a visit from you anyways, right?" Archer twitched at the thought of her.

"What do you have against her teacher, Archer?" Al said, innocently noticing the way Archer looked everytime he mentioned her.

"...I met her once...let's just say I don't fear most things, but this woman, as lovely as she is, gives me an awful fright." Archer bowed his head in embarrassment.

"Archer? Scared of a woman? A teacher nonetheless?" Ed was laughing now, "How rich! Hahaha!"

"Don't laugh, Brother. Remember _our _teacher?" Al gave a slight smirk, and Ed's face went gray with fear.

"If she was still alive, she'd kick our asses for what we're doing, you know that Al?" Ed gave of a false laugh as the memory of Izumi plagued him.

"Huh. Sounds like my Teacher." Elora paled. "That's why I'm scared to go back. She's gonna beat the hell outta me for leaving and chasing after what she calls "forbidden illusions"."

"Funny, we even had similar teachers." Al was still trying to break the barrier between him and Elora. She just stared at him with a cold expression.

"So where is this St. Jurgens?" Ed yawned, tired from their long trek through the wilderness that had lasted almost a week.

"The next city over... we can take a train to get there." Elora muttered, "All I gotta do is say I'm Elora Rosenburg and then they're putty in my hands..."

They eyed the irritated expression on her face as she spat her foster father's surname.

"Belvidere is your real parents' last name, huh?"

"Yeah... Legally its Rosenburg now, since the adoption and all... it's irritating cause at social events I never knew who was talking to me or Amelia..."

"Bathory isn't my real last name either, you know. I made it up upon being stranded here. I'm not quite sure what my last name is. With my memory and all. Bathory has always fit though, it's always felt right." Archer gave a smile.

"Like...Elizabeth Bathory?!" the Elric brothers paled at the thought of the Hungarian Countess.

Archer gave off a hearty laugh, something that was new to the brothers, they both raised their eyebrows. "Yes, like Elizabeth Bathory."

Ed inched away from him, "I knew you were creepy for a reason..."

Archer just beamed.

Yawning, Al covered his mouth with his hand. "So we just need to take the train tomorrow morning and then go talk to your Teacher. It's settled then."

Elora sent him a glare, about to open her mouth and say "hell no, nothing's settled", when Archer touched her shoulder gently. She glanced at her brother-like best friend and sighed before standing up and leaving the library. Ed was giving Al a strange and unnerving look.

"What's got her panties in a bunch?" Ed asked dully.

Al was trying to avoid his brother's gaze, "It's none of your business. It's between Lor and me."

"Look, Al, I'm gonna make it my business if it makes our journey even harder than it has to be! We all have to be able to trust each other and watch each others backs! Kinda hard to do that when two people I thought were close are tense around each other."

"Brother, it's alright, everything is under control. No need to worry." Alphonse shot his older brother a concerned look, and Ed knew to not push the matter, at least for now.

"It's dark outside and the area is unfamiliar..." Archer reminded them with a singsong tone. "Elora's by herself and far ahead."

That was Al's cue to take off after the irritated girl.

"Should we follow them? Ed suggested, looking worried.

"Usually I would suggest no, but considering the circumstances, I say we should." Archer rose from his seat, and swiftly waltzed towards the door, the older Elric at his side.

* * *

It had taken Alphonse ten minutes to find Elora and catch up to her; she was kneeling around the back of the old inn that their group would be inhabiting for the night. She rose softly, and turned around, her facial features instantly changing to agitated.

"What, Alphonse?" she seethed.

"You shouldn't run off by yourself at night in a strange place, Elora!" he exclaimed out of care.

"I'm not a baby, Al, I can take care of myself. Please leave me alone!"

Elora turned on her heel and headed in the opposite direction of the brown eyed male.

"Elora!"

Tears were welling up in her eyes, she fought them, "Alphonse, just leave me alone! I need time to sort this out, you're smothering me! I need to find my true feelings before we become friends again; I don't want to get hurt!"

"I...I..."

Al was staring at her, pain stabbing through his chest with every sharp intake of breath.

"I just don't want to lose you..." Al whispered.

"Get a clue, Alphonse, smothering me when I told you I needed time is gonna make you lose me even faster!"

"I...understand. Fine, I'll, let you be."

Al turned around, hiding his own tears now, when in the distance the voices of Archer and Edward's became clear. Archer and Ed finally caught up with them. Ed glanced at Al, who was wiping his eyes furiously, and Elora was hiding her forehead against the wall of the inn.

Archer gave a soft sigh, barely audible, before he looked at them, "Let's get some rest. We're all exhausted and warm beds are waiting for us, along with decent warm showers."

"And food. With no milk." Ed tacked on, trying to be funny.

Al allowed Ed to steer him toward the inn, Archer grabbing Elora's wrist and dragging her behind him. Once they were all showered and in fresh, laundered clothes, they moved to rest. However, Ed was looking at Archer with a look on his face.

"Hey, Arch, can you share with Al tonight? He keeps knocking me on the floor."

Archer sighed and shut his book, "If I must..."

Ed grinned, "Thanks!"

Elora squeaked slightly as Ed and Archer traded places, the blond Full Metal Alchemist climbing under the covers beside her. She tried to hide her reddening face as she rolled onto her side, facing the wall while Ed placed his arms behind his head and stared up at the ceiling.

"Are they asleep?" Elora whispered after endless moments ticked by.

Ed glanced at her, then at the slumbering too. "Out like two lights."

She bit her lip, "Edward...?"

He blinked as she rolled over and buried her face into his shoulder, gripping his shirt. He felt her warm tears sinking through his sleeve a second later.

"W-What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"...I'm not sure what to do..."

"About?"

"...Edward... I... I'm in love with your brother."

* * *

The sun dusted over the top of the iron car, the train moved with vast speeds. Trailing through the grassy terrains, it poured out small clouds of smoke that were soon carried off by the gusts of the winds. Inside a car a lengthy space away from the front, sat Elora, Archer, Edward, and Alphonse.

The group had barely made it on the train that morning, sleeping in late and rushing to make sure they got to Poland soon. Al was sitting with Archer, while Ed was sitting strangely close to Elora, making the train ride very awkward for most of the team.

The dirty looks that Al kept subtly giving his brother were only caught by Archer and occasionally Ed, who made a face, reminded of when they were little and when they had fought over who would marry Winry.

Awkward it was.

"How much longer until we reach the city? How far is it from the station?" Archer questioned Elora.

"The school isn't too far. It's about a five block walk, to be honest. And we should reach the city in a little over two hours."

"Great, enough time for me to take a nap." Ed grinned, and stretched out onto the crammed seat.

Elora turned bright red as he used her shoulder as a pillow, pressing her against the wall. She didn't shove him off like expected, merely sighed and pulled off her blouse, bundling it up into a makeshift pillow and forcing Ed to lie his head down in her lap instead.

"Thanks, Elora." Ed said sleepily as he closed his eyes.

Her eyes stared out the window as her fingers idly played with his antenna.

"You two seem oddly close." Archer mused.

"Not really." Elora blushed.

Archer wasn't trying to cause issues, but he wasn't going to deny fact either.

"I woke up this morning to you two snuggled up together."

"A lot of friends snuggle, Archer." Elora said, slightly agitated.

She didn't like how Al was brooding and glaring at his shoes now.

"Besides, Archer, you know very well that Ed is almost six years older than me." Elora pointed out firmly.

"I know, Elora." Archer felt a tad guilty, and began to look down at his shoes now too.

Elora looked down at the slumbering young man, fingertips brushing against his face, "He's become like a big brother to me... he was with me when..." Flinching a little, her fingertips brushed against a bruise on Ed's cheek. "Ed and I are just becoming close. Is that so wrong?"

"No... it's not. I'm sorry." Archer muttered with regret.

Ed rolled over so his back was to them and he was gripping the hem of Elora's tank,

"Winry..." he murmured in his sleep.

Elora leaned her head back and looked out the window, "They... beat me. I seriously thought... I was going to die. When they dragged me away from Ed... I knew I was going to die. They... dropped me to the floor, in front of _her_..."

The train car became eerily still, Archer's eyes rested on Elora with a hint of pain. The young female had lost her breath. She let small tears trail down her face, and then violently shook her head, whisking them away.

"I... saw my reflection in the blade... saw just how scared I was. I looked so frail and helpless..." Elora hung her head and continued to brush her thumb against Ed's face lightly. "She... grabbed me from behind, pulled my shirts off... exposed my back..."

She mimicked the sound of a blade swooshing. "_Slash... slash... slash..._"

"The blood was warm, the pain agonizing and stinging to the point it burned across my shoulders... she made me pull my tank back on before she grabbed me by my hair... and then she started to cut."

"Elora, stop. Don't go on." Al was the one who spoke.

"I watched as...as....my hair, it fell to the ground. I lost all will to fight back, she had broken me. I knew no matter what I did, she'd kill me." Elora paused, and took a deep breath. "That's when a young man came to the door, he told her someone else was inside the premises. She got very angry. She grinned at me before she left. I just laid there, sobbing onto the floor. I wrapped my blouse around my head, and that's when Ed came." Elora was quiet for a second, "At first... in the light... I thought he... was you, Al..."

Al became instantly ridden with new and strange emotions. He wanted to leap across the car and pull Elora into his arms and tell her he was sorry, and that everything was going to be alright. But he knew that everything wasn't going to be alright, and that nothing he did right now would help. He wanted to make sure he kept his promise to Elora, he'd let her have her space.

"Elora... can we please... speak of something else?" Archer looked deathly pale.

"Sure." Elora made a slight grin at her companion, but soon went back to her previous demeanor.

The train ride fell into a deep silence after that.

* * *

The sunlight illuminated the stone structure as St. Jurgen's came into view. The building towered over the four young adults, its black bricked walls contrasting with it's environment. The school loomed in between a park and a lake. Elora clenched her fists as she walked up the steps to the iron door that was the entrance.

"I so don't want to be here..." she groaned.

"Come on, better to get it over with now than wait." Archer said with a cheery smiley.

Inhaling, she pushed open the doors and stepped inside the silent corridors. It was class time now, so all the students were on the second level, no where near the dormitories. She moved swiftly, her footsteps clicking against the floor as the three young men followed her quick movements through the dark corridors.

"Won't your teacher be in class, Elora?"

"No, she won't."

"Why not?" Al asked confused.

"Teacher is a tutor. She doesn't teach an actual class. She was the one who looks after the students and helps them with their homework..." Elora came to a stop and turned around, a watery smile on her face. "Kinda like the mom to all us kids left abandoned while our parents are either politicians, in the war, or dead."

Elora whirled back around and continued running, reaching a room near the end of the corridor.

"This is her room; she's requested a room in the students' corridor to be of easier access to her student."

Elora lifted her arm towards the door and knocked on it three times. Seconds slipped by before a faint rustling was heard on the other side, followed by a loud crash and several curse words.

"She sounds classy." Ed giggled.

Elora gave a sheepish smile and sweatdropped, "Classy... nice description."

The doorknob began to turn, and the door was whisked open. An older woman lay on the other side. Silence rang deafeningly through the air as recognition filled more than one pair of eyes. The woman's dark locks were worn in what looked similar to dreadlocks, framing around a porcelain face and dark and wise eyes. The only difference was she didn't have a tattoo on her visible collar-bone. If she had, Ed and Al probably would've lost their minds to grief all over again.

Izumi stood before them, with a disgruntled expression. She drew back her arm, and brought it down hard onto Elora's head, who fell back into the hall.

"Nice to see you, Teacher." Elora mumbled.

"You think you can leave me and not expect a punishment? Where have you been? And who are these clowns?" Izumi gave a death glare down at the three males, who all sunk back immediately. "Empty bed, no note. What am I supposed to think about my student? Elora Belvidere, you are the only pupil who still listens to me around here besides Salinger!"

"I'm sorry, Teacher, I really am." Elora stared down at her shoes, fear surging through her.

Izumi pressed her fingers to her forehead, "Just where have you been? You look like you've been living out in the wild."

"Uh, see, it's kind of a long story." Archer tried to pipe up.

One look from Teacher's eyes and he shut his mouth.

"I believe I asked Elora."

"Archer's right though, Teacher. It is a long story... may we come in?"

Izumi gave an irritated sigh but she stepped back, allowing the four of them into her quarters. Izumi's room was small, and compact. In one corner was a bed, messily unkept, and the other housed a small table, with four chairs resting around it. Shelves lined the back walls, full of all sorts of books. Izumi plopped down onto her bed, and motioned for them to take a seat around the table, which they did.

"Get to it, then." She said with more interest than she meant to reveal.

"Teacher, do you recall Arthur?"

Izumi gave a nod, "Of course I do. He was the one who brought you here."

"Remember how I used to talk about alchemy and the other kids would beat me up for it?"

"Elora..."

"Just, please, listen... Alchemy isn't just a trick. It can still be used. It does exist here still."

"Why do you insist on relying on fantasy, when all you need is an education, and good fighting skills. Did our combat training teach you nothing?" Izumi sulked back onto her bed.

"... Archer isn't from here, Teacher."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean this isn't the world in which he was born. He's from Arthur's world. A world we call Shamballa."

"Nonsense."

"Teacher, this isn't nonsense... Um, let's see here..." Elora looked around and grabbed a cracked knick knack off the shelf.

"What are you doing?" Izumi demanded.

Elora looked at her with pleading eyes, "Please, Teacher..."

Izumi hesitated and then her eyes widened as Elora clapped her hands and held them above the knick knack. The large and distinguishable cracks dissolved, the ancient decoration looking as good as new.

"See?" the brunette held out the repaired knick knack for Izumi to inspect.

"Elora... what have you done?" Izumi grabbed the knick knack and smashed it to the floor.

"Teacher?" Elora was taken aback. She stared bewildered at Izumi.

"Elora... I... nevermind. You should...continue with your story before I interject."

She lowered her eyes and continued, not taking any breaks. "Archer was adopted by my parents. He has no recollection of memories from his childhood. He's an alchemist, and Arthur taught him what he already knew and so much more. After my parents passed away and I was adopted by Rosenburg, Arthur kinda raised both of us and taught us his secrets."

"That is when the question arose." Archer said with a slight fear. "Elora agreed to help me get back home."

Izumi didn't comment on his interjection, arms crossed over her bosom, and eyes flickering with each word spoken.

"I... paid a price to be able to do alchemy myself. Then we set out on our journey. I ran away from here because... I felt abandoned and I just... wanted to help Archer get home. We discovered what we needed, piece by piece, and along the way we met Edward and Alphonse Elric."

Izumi gave a slight twinge at their names, as if something about them twisted her very core, sending vibrations of remorse through her body, which she soon shook off.

Ed and Al finally bit their lips, "Since we're being so honest here..." Ed stood up and looked Izumi directly in the eyes, "You look exactly like our Teacher from back home. Izumi Curtis."

"That is _my_ name." Izumi stared at the brothers with a confused look about herself.

"There are so many familiar faces in this world..." Ed breathed. "Different people, familiar faces. A parallel world as some have called it."

"The other side of the gate..." Al tacked on quietly.

Izumi was quiet and sighed, "Why did you come back?"

Elora gulped slightly, "You have... a piece of the puzzle. I gave it to you."

"The moonstone..."

"Y-Yes..."

"You plan on leaving again, the moment I hand it over, right?"

"..."

Izumi gave a stern look at Elora.

"Then I'll just have to come along."

"No!"

Izumi glared at her, "Don't defy your Teacher!"

Elora was on her feet, "I'm sorry, but I won't let you!"

"And why should I allow my almost daughter to go without protecting her? This journey is perilous, I can tell from the wounds you try to hide from my sight!"

"You don't understand, this journey... it's not just a simple gathering of ingredients. It deals with things you have always protested against. It goes against everything you ever taught me. You're right; it is perilous, maybe too perilous for you..."

Elora was flown back into a wall from another slap from Izumi.

"Are you calling me old, eh?"

"N-No!"

Izumi stared her down, but Elora stared defiantly back. Ed and Al paused and exchanged a look, recognizing the same actions that had occurred between them and their own late teacher.

"...at least take Salinger with you."

"Who's Salinger?" Al said, squinting his eyes at the situation.

The door opened, "Teacher, you called for me?"

"Great timing, Salinger."

Elora turned slowly, eyes widening along with the russet brown eyes belonging to the handsome blond boy who stepped inside the room. His light golden blond locks fell to his shoulders, his bangs hiding one side of his face that reminded the brothers of Russel, the boy who impersonated Ed several times over their journey. He wore a simple button down with the sleeves pushed up and black pants with sturdy dress shoes.

"Elora..."

"Irvine..."

"You know this guy?" Al said coolly, trying to tame the green eyed monster in his chest.

Izumi turned to them, "This is Irvine Salinger. He'll be joining you and keeping an eye on my student."

Irvine bit his lip, "I am?"

"That's your next assignment. And I don't tolerate unfinished homework." Izumi growled softly.

They watched as she turned on her heel and unlocked a jewelry box, picking up a clear rock with a strange pink hue to it. She tossed the stone at Elora, who caught it swiftly.

"What about school, Teacher?" Irvine said grudgingly.

"Elora's safety is a little more important this time around."

"Teacher..."

Izumi held up a hand, "Save it, Elora."

Tears filled her eyes, "Thank you..."

"Get out of my sight." Izumi replied, back to them.

Elora stood up, as did the rest of her group. She reached out and patted her hand carefully on Izumi's shoulder. She gave a small grin of happiness, and exited the room, the four boys following behind her.

"Elora, where have you been?" Irvine demanded once they were on the way to his dorm for him to pack.

"What's it to you?" Al growled under his breath.

Irvine cocked his head to the side, jabbing a thumb at him. "Who's the angry kid?"

Elora sighed and said sweetly, "It's quite alright, Irvine. These are my friends, Ed and Al Elric."

"Alphonse Elric, nice to meet you." Al said with a hint of anger.

"I was worried about you..." Irvine said after briefly shaking both their hands and giving a wave at Archer, who looked completely comfortable with the idea of Irvine tagging along. "I thought you had been taken by the Germans or something..."

"We'll explain everything later." Ed interjected, "Can you quickly pack and pack light?"

Irvine nodded and quickly grabbed a leather backpack, filling it with a few changes of clothes, along with a couple of textbooks. Archer's gray eyes narrowed behind his glasses as he realized what kind of books they were.

"Alchemy books?"

"Again, explain later." Ed said, forcing them out of the room. "We got the next stone. Come on."

The four travelers and their new companion left the school, the iron door swinging shut behind them.

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**ETP: Yay for another update!**

**PK: Hopefully we'll get some more reviews!**

**ETP: Come on guys!**


	9. Chapter 9

**ETP: Gawd, this is what happens when you're wide awake at 3 AM...**

**PK: Yay for insomnia-induced updates!**

**ETP: Sorry about the delay. I'll try and get focused on SATY now.**

**Disclaimer: We don't own FMA, only our OCS.**

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**Chapter IX**

**Reconciled**

"I knew you'd come back." Salinger rattled out as he lay among the grass.

"I wasn't planning on it, it just worked out that way." Elora mumbled.

The strong rays of the sun pressed warmly against their skin. It had been an hour since they had left Izumi's, but the thought of her felt like a distant memory to Elora. They had found a nice little abandoned barn nestled outside of the city to stow away in until morning. They were currently laying about in the grass outside, taking a moment to relax.

Thinking back on it, Elora wished that Izumi had come with them, she missed her Teacher, and Izumi would have been a great addition for the search. She knew though, that Izumi had to stay put, she had to be there for her students.

"Things got bad after you left Lor." Salinger began, ignoring a death stare from Al. "They blamed Teacher for your disappearance. She was beaten mercilessly. She only stayed because she wanted to protect her students, but a lot of people have left. Families killed in the war, sent straight to orphanages or went into hiding. She had me though. I expect now that I'm gone, she'll flee."

"Damn it, Irvine! If I had known that, I wouldn't have protested her going with us! We could turn around right-"

"No, we can't go back, we've been gone to long. They'll have already discovered I'm gone. She's probably ran off by now, doesn't want to suffer another beating."

"Damn, it's all my fault." Elora buried her face into the earth.

"Don't blame yourself, Elora. We're in the middle of a war, you needed to escape. Teacher is strong, she can handle herself." Archer interjected into the conversation. Elora didn't seemed convinced.

"Anyways, I'm more curious as to why you have alchemy texts with you, Salinger." Archer pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he directed his question to Irvine.

"Oh, well, about that…after Elora left, I decided to read up on it. Not an easy subject to find books on. Elora had talked about it so excitingly that I wanted to try it for myself. I actually found these book in Izumi's room, she had them stowed away inside a crammed cabinet." Salinger began.

"What do you mean? Teacher detested anything to do with alchemy. I wasn't allowed to say anything about it in her presence! Why would she have alchemy books in her room!" Elora sat up, bewildered.

"I asked myself the same question. I don't know, I was too scared to admit I had stolen from her, so I couldn't ask her myself." said Salinger. "…anyways, I soon discovered I couldn't perform alchemy, not having the ability to. It fascinated me though, so I spent most of my free time studying the books."

"You always did love studying." Elora giggled, which made Al screw up his face.

"Great, another Archer!" Ed slammed his hand against his forehead.

"I'm quite sure Salinger and myself are quite different. From how Elora used to go on, he seemed to have more of your personality than mine, Edward." Archer chuckled off, as Salinger sat beside him, feeling awkward.

"Well, anyways, Elora, I'm more interested into what you're doing. Why are you trying to find these stones?" Salinger queried her.

Elora launched into a very long winded explanation of what she had been doing over the past several months. While the two close friends talked, Al stood up and started to hunt down something to tide them over for dinner. Ed joined them, the two working side-by-side as they began to inspect corn stalks. After a few moments, Ed's gold eyes shifted toward his brother's face, seeing it set in an expression that clued the blond in that Al was greatly annoyed.

"Alright there, Al?" Ed asked subtly.

Alphonse turned away from him, attempting to hide his aggravated demeanor.

Giving an exasperated sigh, Ed closed his eyes, "When are you going to grow up, Al...?"

"That was mean, brother!" Al clenched his mouth shut, and sent a sideways glare toward Ed.

"I mean it, Al." Ed avoided Al's eyes.

Al looked away, feeling the familiar sting he felt ever since they were five. Even though the problems were way more mature, the sting he felt from his brother's words was the same.

Ed was focused more on gathering the food as he continued, "She's just a girl. We have bigger things to worry about then some petty jealousy issues."

"It's not...petty." Al mumbled, although he silently agreed that they did have bigger issues.

"Tell me the truth... how much are you willing to sacrifice for Elora?"

Alphonse held his breath. He knew the answer. In the short time that he had known her, he had developed feelings for her that far surpassed any he had felt for other girls. He knew he'd sacrifice everything for her, but something told him it wasn't the best idea to let that knowledge be known, especially to Ed.

Ed sighed almost irritably, "Al, we're stuck with that kid. And as much as I don't want to have anyone else tagging along, he'll be a good asset. Try and get along with him, at least for my sake, okay?"

Al grumbled to himself, but managed to say, "Fine."

"Al...?"

"What?"

He turned, only to freeze at the look Ed was giving him. He hadn't seen so much torment in his golden gaze in so long.

"I know what it's like to love someone. I'm willing to do _anything_ to get back to Winry."

"I know you do, brother..." Al said softly.

"Just don't get yourself hurt..."

With those words, Ed gathered the rest of the food and turned to head back to the other three. Archer had made a fire and was happily examining some of Salinger's alchemy texts. Elora was sitting beside the other blond, hands gripping her knees as she rocked back and forth slightly, smiling brightly for the first time in a long time.

This only increased Al's bitterness. The sight of Salinger bringing happiness to her, when he couldn't, made him loathe himself.

He flopped down next to Archer, keeping his eyes closed as he crossed his arms over his chest. He opened his eyes partway, opening his travel bag, and riffling through the small amount of belongings he had. A moment later he found what he was looking for, withdrawing a silver pocket watch with a lion symbol on the front. Clicking it open, Al looked at the picture he had placed inside almost three years ago, a picture of his beloved late mother, his brother, and himself.

He could smell her scent just as he felt her hot breath on the nape of his neck. Elora suddenly leaned over his shoulder, the scent of wildflowers heavy and making him lightheaded. He could feel some of her chestnut strands brush against his face.

"Is that your mother?"

"Yeah." He spoke weakly.

Elora took the photo out of his hands, and stood back to examine it.

"She was beautiful."

"Thank you." Al's face was red.

"I bet she was a lovely person, I'm sorry about what...happened to her." Elora handed the picture back to him carefully.

Al nodded slowly, "We're stronger now. I miss her terribly but I have my brother. He's all I need."

Elora took her place beside Ed, and the two went back to ignoring each other, emotional pain shining in both of their faces.

Elora couldn't take the silence any longer. It was too awkward for her, and she had the feeling Salinger was getting holes bored into the side of his head from a certain Shamballan. Feeling a bit more like her old self, the brunette got to her feet and turned to her close friend.

"I'm going to get some more firewood. Come with me."

His visible russet orb blinked, "Uh, sure thing."

Archer kept quiet as he watched the pair make their way toward the grove nearby. Very slowly, his gray orbs locked on Al from behind his glasses, waiting to see how he would react. After a few minutes, Al wordlessly stood up, and began to follow, the tugging in his gut too urgent to ignore.

When Elora and Salinger were a good distance away from the others, Salinger began to address his actual thoughts.

"That Alphonse, what's wrong with him?"

Elora gave an irritable sigh, slipping her hands into the pockets of her khaki shorts as she kicked a rock.

"It's nothing... Al's just..."

But her voice trailed off, she didn't want to talk about Al, not not Salinger of all people. Talking to Edward about it was so much easier. Even Archer, because Archer knew even without her having to tell him. With Salinger...

It was kind of awkward. He always seemed to act strange with her, especially when they were alone. She always felt this nervous, dreading feeling with Salinger.

"Well, I think he has a thing for you." Salinger let out bluntly.

Elora chose not to answer back once more, Salinger didn't really have boundaries when it came to personal issues.

"I'm serious, Lor. It's just the way he watches you... it's kinda weird."

Unexplained anger surged through her, "He is _not_ weird!"

Salinger flinched a little, "I didn't mean anything by that, calm down..."

Elora turned from him, her face flaming. Her head was swirling with conflicting emotions.

"Do you... do you have feelings for him as well?" Salinger persisted, as he whispered the last few words.

"Of course not." Elora replied quickly, bending down to pick up some broken branches.

"Good." He replied back, just as quickly.

There was a moment of stillness. Neither noticed said topic of discussion watching them from behind the trunk of an old oak tree. Al bit his lip, pressing his hand firmly against the rough bark. The insistent tugging was starting to make him queasy.

"Elora?" Salinger broke the silence.

"Yeah?"

The moment she turned to look at him, Elora regretted it.

Suddenly Salinger was incredibly close, gripping her arm and making it so she couldn't step away. Her eyes widened, flickering at the unexpected intensity in which he was staring at her with.

"I missed you..."

"I-I missed you t-too, Irvine..."

The blond's look only grew more serious, "No, Lor, I _missed_ you..."

She didn't even have time to react or stop what happened next. In a split second Elora was tugged forward and her mouth was covered with Salinger's. A muffled scream of surprise escaped the brown-haired girl, amethyst orbs widening at the abrupt kiss.

Al clenched his fists, nails digging deep into his palms. He bit his lip hard, and felt tears beginning to form in his eyes. He couldn't handle it any longer, and he stormed off away from the scene, back to Archer and Ed.

"Al, what's wrong? Al!" Ed exclaimed as Al broke into a run, disappearing inside the barn

Archer jerked his head up just as a loud _SMACK! _went through the air. A moment later they could hear foul cursing and then Salinger went flying from the grove from a blast of wind, landing hard on his back. Her arms crossed, Elora huffed and stormed away from the blond, wiping her mouth and cursing furiously in Italian.

"What happened!" Ed got to his feet.

"Isn't it obvious?" Archer replied.

Salinger rubbed his red and throbbing cheek, "Didn't need to slap me..."

Elora fumed and whirled around, "YOU KISSED ME! YOU HAD NO RIGHT, YOU PIG!"

"Oh, now it makes sense." Ed sheepishly rubbed his neck. "I guess I'll go comfort Al."

Elora flinched, "What do you mean, 'go comfort Al'?"

"He...witnessed Salinger's little moments of forwardness." Archer informed the brunette.

Her left eye twitched.

"DIE, YOU BASTARD!" Elora screeched, blasting Salinger yet again.

Archer sweatdropped as the blond hit a tree rather hard, "Elora, please keep his injuries at a minimal level, we need his leg use for the journey." Archer partly joked.

"I'll make sure to injure every part of him except his legs then." Elora fumed as she turned back to Salinger with a evil gleam in her eye.

Salinger flinched and held his braced arms over his face. Before Elora could move to clap her hands together, a firm grip snatched her wrist. She turned and saw Ed staring down at her, a stern look in his eyes and his face etched seriously.

"He's not worth it."

Her fingers clenched into a fist, "Alright, fine." Elora muttered.

Ed slowly released her wrist before he turned to head for the barn, but Archer was already in the doorway giving him a look that clearly stated he should stay and keep Elora from murdering Salinger. Sighing, Ed watched as the auburn-haired flame alchemist turned and disappeared inside the barn.

Archer found his way toward the back of the barn, only to find Al with his eyes shut tightly, in a sleep like position.

"I know you're not asleep." Archer sighed.

Alphonse didn't reply.

"Alphonse, don't let Salinger get to you. Elora didn't have any involvement in the kiss-" Archer was cut off.

"I know she didn't, I'm not stupid." Al shot back.

Archer was surprised by this, as Al usually had such a gentle nature. Al sat up and raked his fingers through his dark blond bangs.

"Then what's wrong?" Archer sat beside of him, giving him a fatherly look that didn't suit him at all.

"What's wrong is the fact... that he can be so... forward with her and at ease... and I can't even tell her how I feel."

"Ah..." Archer was, for once, at a loss for words.

Al looked up at the ceiling, where the sky was visible through the partially collapsed roof. Swirly dark storm clouds greeted them, droplets of rain beginning to fall in a steady sprinkle.

"I never wanted to hurt someone so badly before, other than anyone whose threatened my brother..." Al admitted awkwardly.

"I understand, we are both men without violence in our nature, it must be strange." Archer replied.

"Everything I feel when it comes to her is strange." Al muttered, hugging his knees.

"That's part of loving someone, everything is new and unusual to you."

He looked away, "I hate being jealous. It makes me feel sick."

"That is what makes you such a kind person, Alphonse. I believe, in time, Elora will come around, you must give her time. Do not let Salinger make you feel worse than you already do, she doesn't harbor feelings for him like that."

Al's lips twitched into a weak smile, "I know. I heard her cursing him. I never knew such a sweet girl could know so many foul words."

"That's nothing, she's got a mouth, trust me." Archer chuckled back.

"What were her parents like...?"

"She rivals her mother in the scary department." Archer confessed, "But she's just as loving and tender as Liora. Her father was a kind-hearted man... he did everything he could to look after the orphans in the nearby church. Even though he didn't have to, Carlisle adopted me."

Al smiled, "And she's what's left of that kindness..."

Archer returned his smile, and felt it best not to say anything. Soon, the footsteps of Ed and Elora echoed inside the old barn, and they made their way to the duo.

"It's starting to pour," Ed commented.

"What about Salinger?" Archer asked, amused.

Elora hissed at the mentioning of the male, "He can die of ammonia for all I care!"

The cursing brought an even bigger smile to Al's face, which he tried and failed to hide. It didn't go unnoticed, Ed silently chuckling and Elora blushing faintly, though she smiled herself.

"I'm bushed," Ed yawned, before flopping onto a barrel of hay. "Night."

Archer moved toward the far corner, finding an old kerosene lamp and igniting it so he could continue to read the alchemy texts. Salinger huddled in the doorway, terrified to scoot inside the barn all the way, and went to sleep right there. Al and Elora stared at each other in silence, before Elora coughed a bit awkwardly and settled herself beside him.

Neither spoke for a few minutes, listening to the rain, Ed's and Salinger's light snores, and the occasional turn of a page from Archer. Elora's fingers intertwined as she rested her hands on her knees. Al didn't move from hugging his own, simply watching her out of the corner of his gaze.

Elora's face was pink, "Sorry..."

"Why are you apologizing?"

"Because... I've..." Elora sighed and looked at him, "I've been a jerk to you lately."

Al didn't reply. He didn't want to be mean and agree with her, but she could've been nicer to him despite the tension between them. Aware of this, Elora idly began to play with some uneven strands of her hair, her eyes looking blue in the dim light.

His lips twitched into another smile, "So is Salinger a bad kisser?"

She gagged a little, "So gross. Can't believe he even tried that. I should've skewered him. Lucky for him, Edward intervened."

"You and Brother seem close..."

"We've become close. We still fight, obviously, but... he understands me."

Al was quiet again.

"Alphonse..."

"What is it, Elora?"

"Can you... ever forgive me for hurting you so much...?"

He swallowed hard and nodded, "We're friends..."

She avoided his brown eyes, "Friends," she repeated, her voice oddly hollow.

The way she said that made Al's heart turn cold. His breathing hitched slightly. He could sense the discomfort she was feeling at that simple word.

What was he to do? He couldn't give her anything further right now. They had so much more important things to deal with. Besides, if he were to cross that line, there would be no telling what people like Evelyn and Ryan would do to use it against him.

He had to worry about people using Ed against him. Elora on top of that would kill him. He knew what it was like to lose a loved one, and Al was determined to avoid ever feeling that grief ever again.

"Elora..." Al's voice was a soft whisper.

Alluring and impossible to resist, the brunette turned to look at him. His warm fingers brushed against her cheek, his gaze locked intensely on hers. Unlike with Salinger, Elora felt fuzzy inside and her stomach began to twist in a funny way. Her heart beat was much more noticable, picking up a steady rhythm. Her face was warm but only slightly, unlike the fierce heat that normally came whenever she thought of Alphonse.

Something came over her suddenly, "Kiss me, Alphonse..."

Al was startled slightly by her request, but obliged anyway. He leaned in close, inhaling her wildflower scent that made him weak and dizzy, before his lips lightly brushed against Elora's. The moment they pulled back slightly, their eyes opened half-mast, only to close again as their lips connected once more, much more firmly.

Elora's arm locked around Al's neck as his hands rested on her waist, their lips seeking and their breathing becoming heavier. Al shivered as her fingers entangled in his dark blond tresses, his thumbs brushing against her sides through her tank. Their lips would part and press against each others in tiny pecks repeatedly, unable to deepen the kiss due to nerves yet unable to pull away completely.

A crackle of thunder, however, did send them breaking apart. Gasping for air, Elora gave a slight squeak as lightning flashed. Without hesitation, Al's arms wrapped around the brunette's frame, pulling her against his chest and holding her. Her fingers clutched the front of his shirt, her face buried in the crevice between his shoulder and neck, and she inhaled his scent deeply.

His scent made her feel warm and safe, despite the raging storm she feared outside.

"Promise me something, Al... promise me that when this is all over, that when he get to Shamballa, you won't leave me..."

Al closed his eyes, resting his head on the crown of her head.

"I promised you that the moment we started this journey together, Lor..."

Her eyes closing, Elora smiled to herself.

"Thank you..."

Neither were really sure what she was thanking him for...

Only time would tell.

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**ETP: I couldn't stop myself. Fluff is just soooo gooooood.**

**PK: Twas cute.**

**ETP: Reviews please? -big puppy dog eyes- **

**PK: We'll try and update soon!**


	10. Chapter 10

**ETP: Oooh, looks like things are heating up between Al and Lor XD**

**PK: And thus the plot thickens!**

**Disclaimer: I WILL OWN AN ALPHONSE PLUSHIE! As soon as I get paid :P We do not, however, own FMA in any means whatsoever.**

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Chapter X

All These Lives

The small town was bustling as the weary travelers arrived. Archer gave a low appreciative whistle at the sight of the university in the distance, his eyes widening as his mind filled with the image of thousands upon thousands of resourceful books it possibly contained. Ed grinned and stopped a nearby vendor, buying Al and him a danish with some of the leftover money he had saved in his pocket.

"First off, we should go and check out how much train tickets will cost." Elora declared. "So we should head to the train station."

"Shouldn't we figure out where we're going first?" Salinger inquired.

The four alchemists paused, exchanging a look along with a sheepish smile spreading across Ed's face. Al nibbled on his half of the danish as he thought about the stones they had, safely tucked away on Archer's being. They only had three out of the twelve and he had the feeling their journey was only just beginning, despite how much time had already passed.

The seasons were beginning to change. The autumn air was beginning to get colder. Winter was just around the corner and if they didn't hurry…

"What do you guys think?" Ed finally asked.

Archer was gazing distantly at the university, "I believe I will take on the task of finding our next target's location."

Elora nodded, "I should head on to the train station."

"I-I'll go with you!" Al quickly said, before Salinger could even get the words out.

Pouting, the blond crossed his arms and said, "Fine, I guess I'll check us into a nearby inn."

"Brother?" Al turned to the blond.

"I'm going to go and pick up some new supplies. We're running low, and with some of the money Izumi slipped Salinger, I should be able to get some good ones."

Archer smiled at the well thought-out plans, "Alright, shall we agree to meet back here within two hours?"

"Sounds fine with me," Elora agreed. "C'mon, Al."

She grabbed his sleeve, dragging him down the street with the dark blond staggering slightly. Salinger gave a strange salute with his index and middle finger before heading toward the cluster of inns. With a small smile, Archer and Ed went their own separate ways as well, determination set on each of their faces.

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Ed rubbed his shoulder and grunted slightly as he broke free some of the rust that had began to form. He gave a sigh of disbelief as he paused, continuing to rub his arm. Staring at the auto-mail, he felt another surge of longing wash over him.

What he wouldn't give for his mechanic right now; for her gentle touch as she repaired his fake limbs, and made the pain go away just with a simple smile.

"Winry…" Ed whispered, his gold eyes sad.

Missing her was the drive he had to even risk his life to head back to the other side of the gate. He missed Resembool, he missed batty old Pinako, hell, he even missed Mustang barking orders at him and being a dog of the military.

He missed seeing the laughter in Al's eyes as they roamed the place that had been home.

"Some memories are better left buried…" Ed muttered, before he quickly turned and entered a shop.

_If only the memories were so easy to never think of again…_

* * *

Archer gave an appreciative gasp of awe as he was shown into the reference hall of the university. Every wall was filled with books, shelves upon shelves created massive aisles. Given the time, Archer could find himself lost in the maze of knowledge this place provided, but he knew he didn't have much time to spare. Taking a deep breath and inhaling the scent of crisp pages and dried ink, the redhead was shown to the card catalog.

Immediately he pulled up the section on gemstones. He headed for the correct section, looking down at the card with his tidy scrawl upon it, and walking among the shelves. His gloved fingers reached out, brushing against the leather spines as Archer walked aimlessly.

_If only Arthur could see this…_

Archer's lips formed a small, saddened smile as he thought of their late mentor. Arthur had been such a great man and very wise. Archer couldn't help but idol the man, considering him a sage among men.

He glanced up over the tops of his glasses, seeing the section he needed two shelves above his head. Archer turned and saw a ladder, positioning it and scaling it quickly. He pulled off three books, carrying two under his arm and one under his chin as he steadily descended. Without even moving from his spot, Archer settled himself on the carpet and opened the first book, his eyes taking in the words.

"Amazing!" Archer's face radiated as he read the information that covered more than one of the stones he needed, "Fascinating! Who knew that Brazil was such a mining country? A least one-quarter of the stones can be found there…"

Making note of this, the scholar continued his research, feeling as if maybe their journey wouldn't be as hard as they had originally believed.

* * *

The door creaked open slowly to reveal the room Salinger had checked into. Slowly, the blond walked inside and examined the room carefully. There were two queen-sized beds, enough room for all of them, including a small couch near the window. If anything else, he could even try and sleep in the bathtub.

Sighing, Salinger flopped down onto one of the beds, lying with his arms crossed behind his back as he thought about all that had happened so far. He had never thought he would leave St. Jurgen's, especially leaving Izumi behind, but he knew that he couldn't stay there forever.

It wasn't safe, especially with the war brewing right around the corner. Salinger closed his eyes and thought about when he had first arrived. His father had placed him under Izumi's care because he knew he couldn't protect Salinger for much longer. He was an older gentleman, but he had been kind-hearted and loving.

Salinger could remember meeting Elora for the first time. He had been talking to Izumi about some homework when she came in. Her hair had been longer then and styled in the ways a daughter of a respected politician would have her hair done, but despite her appearance she wasn't anything like she should've been.

That's one of the reasons Salinger liked her. Elora was tough and could hold her own, despite her parents' loss, and her foster father's neglect. She loved her sister more than anything, and would sacrifice anything for Archer.

That's why when they had found her bed empty one night, Salinger knew it was because of Archer. Moreover, he had a deep-gut feeling she would return.

She did…

"Elora…"

Salinger sighed and sat up, hurting over her fierce rejection. He had been out of line, but he couldn't hold in his feelings any longer. She herself denied feeling anything other than friendship for Alphonse Elric.

So why was it she turned around and rejected him so fiercely?

Salinger felt the envy burning through him as he recalled waking up the next morning to find the two of them snuggled together and covered with Archer's coat. The blond couldn't help but feel as if he should've been the one holding Elora during the thunderstorm, and not some guy she met only a few months ago.

However, there wasn't denying what was between Al and Elora.

It was incomprehensible to an outsider, but they did have a strong bond that seemed to strengthen with every second that passed.

"I don't wanna be alone anymore…" Salinger whispered, swallowing the lump scorching his throat. "When will I find the one meant for me? If not Lor, who…?"

He placed his head in his hands and tamed the emotions threatening to dig his own grave.

* * *

The train station was crowded, to the point that Elora and Al had to awkwardly hold hands to prevent separation as they made their way to the ticket booth and to find out the train departure times and where they would go. While Elora chattered away in Polish to the man working the booth, Al observed their surroundings.

His brown eyes watched as a train from Berlin arrived and passengers began to step off onto the platform. He scanned over a pretty adolescent girl once before continuing on, only to do a double-take a moment later. Familiar scarlet locks, bound in a cascading ponytail in their curls, caught his attention.

"Um… Elora…?"

Elora paused in her conversation, "Just a sec, Al."

Al shook his head and grabbed her arm, turning her and pointing at the familiar face. Elora's thoughts scattered as she stared, wide-eyed and in bewilderment as Amelia finally spotted them. Waving and squealing, the peach-clad girl broke into a run and tackled them both in a hug.

"A-Amelia? W-What a-are you d-doing here…?"

Amelia didn't answer immediately, her honey colored eyes filling with tears as she cupped Elora's face, stroking the uneven short locks and gently touching the fading bruises that marred her sister's face. Embracing her yet again, Amelia cried for a few moments with Elora hugging her back.

"C'mon, Lia, what's going on?"

Amelia wiped her eyes, "Daddy sent me here to attend an unveiling at a colleage's home tomorrow night." Amelia explained, "What about you guys?"

"Searching for the stones…" Al confessed.

"Is that how…?" Amelia trailed off, her eyes darting to her mending sibling.

They gave silent nods.

"My poor, sweet sister…"

"Lia, I'm fine…"

Amelia gave him a stern look that stated she didn't believe her. Sighing, Elora gripped Amelia's shoulders for a minute.

"Amelia, I'm fine, I swear. We just had a little mishap."

"'Mishaps' don't leave wounds." Amelia seethed.

Elora glared slightly, "How long are you to be here and what's this gathering for?"

"One of the ambassadors from Australia found a pure, uncut opal that's worth a lot of money. They're going to be doing a bidding on it tomorrow night at the manor I have to attend in my fathers stead."

Elora frowned at this, especially when Al leaned over her shoulder and whispered softly in her ear, "A gathering like that could mean Evelyn and Ryan will be there…"

Amethyst eyes widened as fear struck the young girl at once. She immediately snatched Amelia's arm.

"You can't go alone! Promise me you'll take me with you!"

"Of course I will, Elora." Amelia's eyes softened as she gently pulled her arm free. "I was hoping to get ahold of you… if you weren't here, I was going to try and steal the stone myself."

Elora gaped at her sister with wide eyes, "_You? Steal? _What are you, insane? Amelia, I've had _teachings_ on how to survive. I'm sorry, but you would only get yourself in a load of trouble."

"You've been gone for months, Lore." Amelia pouted, "Who says that I haven't picked up a few tricks myself?"

Al sighed before the two started to bicker, "We need to meet up with Brother, Archer, and Salinger. We should head back."

Chewing on her cheek for a minute, Elora gave a nod of agreement, before she grabbed Amelia's wrist.

"C'mon, we have to go tell the others about the opal."

* * *

Ed leaned against the side of café and watched the clock tower in the distance, tapping his foot impatiently. Worry struck him as he nervously watched the time ticking by without any sign of the others. It was hard to keep from becoming anxious, especially about his younger brother.

"Dammit, where the hell are you guys?" Ed's eyes narrowed as he ground his teeth, "I swear, if I have to hunt down their asses, I will be pissed. Bet Archer's buried under a pile of books… and if I go and find Al and Elora making out somewhere, I will claw out my eyes."

"Edward!"

Ed jumped and turned, seeing Salinger standing beside him, a hand on his hip. He smirked a little, pride shining in his visible brown eyes over his small victory of startling the Fullmetal Alchemist. Ed glared at the blond, a vein throbbing in his temple as he clenched his fist, the desire to send it right in Salinger's smug face all too tempting.

"Where's the others?" Salinger asked, blinking.

"That's what I was just wondering myself."

"Huh… should we go and look for them?"

Before Ed could respond, he heard Al and Archer's voice from the crowd. Coming from the direction of the university and looking extremely ecstatic was Archer. From the opposite direction was Elora, Al, and shockingly Amelia.

They reached the blond at the exact same moment, only to pause in surprise. Archer blinked, his thoughts temporarily pushed to the side.

"Amelia? What are you doing here in Poland?"

"We'll explain later!" Elora turned to Salinger, who was staring at Amelia with a slowly descending red face and she was smiling at him in mild interest. "Irvine, did you get the room?"

Said boy quickly jerked out of his daze, "Yeah, I did."

Amelia frowned, "Room? As in one? For all five of you?"

Archer nodded, "Of course. Our expenses are rather limited, mind you…"

"I'll fix that. Tonight, though, Elora is staying with me in my room."

"Eh? Why?"

"I'm your sister, that's why! I'm not going to let you room with a bunch of young men when you can easily stay with me!"

"True…"

Archer smiled, "Alright, let's head to the inn then. I have some news as well."

The group turned to head to the inn.

* * *

While sharing a tray of assorted foods (all paid for by Amelia, who was a VIP guest), they all gathered on the two beds. Amelia insisted that Al sit with her and Elora while Ed, Archer, and Salinger all sprawled out across from them.

"Archer, you first." Ed declared, pointing at the scholar.

Archer gave a nod before pulling out the notes he had taken, "Alright, as some of you may already know, we are on a journey to gather the twelve birthstones, all in their pure, uncut state. So far we have successfully collected the garnet, the diamond, and the moonstone. When I was researching the other locations, I discovered that three stones are all located fairly close."

"Really? That's awesome!" Al grinned.

Archer nodded, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"However, these three stones, the amethyst, aquamarine, and peridot are all located in Brazil… in South America."

A collective sweatdrop went among the group.

"How in the _hell_ are we supposed to get there?" Ed fumed.

"Boat?" Salinger suggested.

Archer and Al both looked a little green at the thought.

Ed narrowed his eyes, "That would cost a lot of money. Which we don't have."

Amelia cleared her throat, "Ahem… I happen to be wealthy and Daddy wouldn't even notice if I borrowed some money."

"I wouldn't feel comfortable with that." Ed said stubbornly.

"Neither would I, honestly." said Al quietly.

Elora sighed deeply, "Okay, so three of them are in Brazil. What about the rest?"

Archer continued, "According to my thorough and accurate research, we can find the ruby and sapphire in Thailand, the topaz in Japan, the turquoise in Iran, and the emerald in Egypt. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything on the opal."

A sly grin crossed the wind alchemist's face, "Hehe, looks like we're in luck."

"I'm confused. Please, elaborate." Archer replied.

"I happen to know exactly where we can find an opal." Amelia smirked, as the entire group stared at her.

"What? How?" Salinger tripped over his words as he gave Amelia a dreamy look.

Elora broke in, "The reason why Amelia's here. An ambassador from Australia brought back exactly what we need. It's going to be on auction tomorrow night."

Ed's eyes glinted devilishly, "So we're gonna steal it..."

Al moaned at the thought, "Not again..."

"It's the only way Al. Not even girly boy could find anything about it!" Ed argued.

Archer sweatdropped, "Edward, we've had this talk how many times now? Please stop attacking my character..."

"Right, sorry, but still, the point remains, we have no information on where to find one, it's to coincidental to pass up Al!" Ed half apologized.

"I'm more concerned about the security..." Archer admitted, his arm crossed and he tapped a finger to his chin. "It'll be hard to sneak in, especially if Evelyn and Ryan happen to show up. They know what Ed and Elora look like."

"Evelyn? The kind woman daddy's associated with?" Amelia looked bewildered.

Elora flinched, her left eye twitching.

"Trust me, that bitch is far from kind." Ed hissed.

"What happened?" Amelia's sisterly emotions took over.

"She's the reason for Elora's new haircut." Archer murmured vaguely.

Amelia's face blanched but before they could go into detail, Salinger suddenly leapt to his feet. They all exchanged a wary look as he rubbed his hands together, grinning evilly and his eye glinting mischievously, especially as he looked at Ed.

"Uh...Salinger?" Ed inched away from the male.

"It's perfect." Salinger hissed, a gleam in his eye.

"What is?" Al dared to ask, his tone deadpan.

"Ed and Elora will just have...disguise themselves." Salinger went on, a sinister grin spreading across his face.

"How so?" Elora asked, eyes narrowed.

Amelia giggled, "Pretty, pretty dresses!"

"You mean dress. As in only one dress, right?" Ed looked mutinous.

Salinger and Amelia exchanged a look before simply staring at the blond. Ed put his foot down immediately (and literally).

"HELL NO! You can forget it!" Elora was the first to speak, surprisingly. "You're not getting me in any dress."

"Fine then, Lor. You can be a boy." Amelia giggled again.

Al went stark white, "W-What...?"

Elora on the other hand...

"Okay, sure."

Al's face became even more pale, as he face-palmed.

"Well, you're sure as hell not getting me to wear a dress either!" Ed protested.

Elora glanced at him slowly, and Ed actually felt his heart skip a beat. He didn't think it possible, but the way she pushed out her lower lip and made it quiver, and how large and watery her eyes became was...

Irresistibly adorable.

And he hated it.

"...Fine." He sat back down in a huff, and ignored the giggles erupting from Amelia, and the bewildered glares from Al.

"Then it's settled? When is this auction, Amelia?" Archer inquired.

"Tomorrow evening."

"Just enough time to get ready, this will take some careful planning. Who is going to take the opal?"

Elora raised her hand at once.

Al's eyes darkened as his eyebrows met. "No."

"What? Alphonse, it has to be me! I'm the only one here with a high enough chance to snag it."

"You're also the only one here with the highest chance of being recognized by Evelyn."

Elora gritted her teeth, fists clenching as she trembled. "I don't give a damn about that! Better me than you -" she cut herself off and looked away, blushing horribly.

Al looked as if he was going to retort, but he just closed his mouth, and ceased talking.

"Aww..." Amelia gushed softly, "That's so sweet, Lore. I had no idea you were so protective of your boyfriend."

"He is not my boyfriend!" Elora squeaked loudly, her face as red as the cherries in the bowl.

"Do you think she knows what we're up to? That Evelyn?" Ed piped up, trying to avoid another brawl breaking out.

"How could she?" Archer gave him a confused look.

"She had alchemy texts inside her library." Ed pointed out.

"What? Why didn't you tell us?" Archer's eyes grew wide.

"Sort of preoccupied with...other things." Ed looked away.

A moment of silence passed before Elora moved to cross the room, catching everyone off-guard as she squeezed her small frame into his lap, curling up against his chest and hiding her face into it as her arms locked around his neck. Amelia blinked and opened her mouth to comment, but Archer quickly shook his head, knowing how touchy the subject was for the two, especially since such a horrific event had been the foundation for their newfound relationship.

"Well...I would think not. It seems a lot of people have alchemy texts in this world, surprisingly. She might just be a collector of old books." Archer broke the silence.

Al took a deep breath, "We can't just pass up this chance."

"Exactly, no debating it. We're stealing the opal, tomorrow night."

"Who is going to steal it?" Salinger dared to ask.

"I will." Archer volunteered.

"No way." Ed said flatly.

Archer looked offended and replied, "Why can't I do so?"

"I don't...it's just..." Ed looked slightly embarrassed, not sure if he should tell the feminine male that he doubted his abilities.

"I'm a very much capable of holding my own, it's about time I stretched my legs anyways." Archer gave a soft smile.

"I dunno..." Salinger frowned too.

"I think it's a brilliant idea." Amelia beamed.

"Yeah, me too!" Salinger hastily changed his judgment.

Al cleared his throat, "Um actually... Archer... I have a suggestion..." he spoke up, his voice somewhat feeble.

"What is it Alphonse?" Archer glanced at him.

"Maybe you could... use your fire as a distraction and maybe... maybe I... I could..."

"...Actually, I think that would work." Archer admitted encouragingly.

"I thought I said tha-" Elora was interrupted.

"Lor..." Ed gave her a weak smile. "He'll be fine."

Elora leaned back and looked up at him, "Fine..." she muttered, burying her face back into his chest.

And with that said, the group began formulating their next moves. All six poured over ideas, trying to find the best route to take things. Their ventures found them staying up way into the night. Finally, after Al had fell into the floor from exhaustion, did Archer announce that they needed their rest. Elora and Amelia bade the boys good-bye and fluttered off to their room. No one found it hard to sleep that night, despite the difficult task that lay ahead.

* * *

Crickets could be heard chirping a nightly melody as the six of them trekked toward the entrance of the manor. Amelia had to keep stiffling her giggles everytime Ed tripped over the hem of his dress and released a foul, hissed curse.

"You need to be more feminine, Edward." Archer stifled a laugh.

"You try wearing this damn thing and be girly about it!"

"I have a feeling that Archer could pull it off better than even I could." Elora snickered.

Archer flicked her in the forehead, nearly knocking off her brown cap that covered her ears and shadowed her face. She wore a brown vest over a white dress shirt with a red tie, and brown pants along with knee-high white socks with dress shoes. She looked so much like a boy it was a little alarming.

"Alright, Alphonse, you're my guest. Ed, you're with Archer." Amelia whispered. "Or should I say Edwina?"

Ed sent the scarlet haired female a death glare, before he locked arms with Archer, detesting the entire situation. He couldn't believe he was wearing a big, poofy dress with a high lacy collar. He felt the urge to kill rising slowly but surely as they headed inside the manor. Elora and Irvine where labeled as the Rosenburg body guards and admitted as well.

The building was magnificent in every essence of the word. It had high raised, curved ceilings, with beautiful paintings etched into every corner. The floors were a white marble, shining brightly. Gold curtains hung draped at both ends of the room, with lovely white flowers settled around them in ornate vases.

"So pretty," Elora accidentally let out, before quickly making her voice gruff. "I mean... for you, Mistress."

"Thank you, Elton." Amelia glanced to her right.

"It really is lovely." Archer admired.

He nudged Ed, who was blushing and cleared his throat, trying to make his voice high. "Y-Yes, quite indeed."

The group set off in different directions, Elora, Alphonse, and Amelia positioned themselves up close to the stage, while Ed, Archer, and Salinger hung back, ready to strike when the time called for it.

Aristocracy clapped as the ambassador addressed the crowd, giving them time to mingle and the whatnot. Elora tried to keep her distance from Al, but occassionally a beautiful daughter of a random rich couple would take notice of him and ask for a dance. Trying to remain inconspicious, Al had no choice but to agree.

With every dance he had with another girl, Elora looked ready to kill.

"You know, you should really stop hiding your feelings for him." Amelia whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

"What feelings!" Elora snapped.

Amelia gave her a look, "It's as obvious as daylight."

"I...I just don't think it's the right thing to do in the middle of what's going on. Not at the moment." She confessed, quietly.

Amelia bit her lip, "Have you kissed?"

"Maybe." Elora's cheeks grew hot.

"He likes you..." Amelia smiled, "It's sweet..."

"Thanks, Lia." Elora's mouth stretched into a wide grin, which made her seem much less masculine.

Ed came strutting by, pausing to smack her upside the head with the hand-fan he had, "Stop looking like a crossdressing bimbo."

"Wanna eat those words, Edwina?"

"You sure you want to start this here, ELTON!" Ed shot back.

"You two, be quiet, the auction's starting!" Amelia hushed them.

Elora cursed, immediately looking around for Archer.

"Archer's positioned by the curtains, ready to set it on fire." Ed informed her, as if reading her mind.

"Good, everyone rea-"

Elora stopped dead. Her worst fears were confirmed. Her breathing hitched as she began to shake, recognizing the blond woman across the room. She lowered her head immediately and quickly ducked behind Ed, who also looked uncomfortable and was attempting to avoid eye-contact as well. Amelia kept her warm and sincere smile as Evelyn approached.

"Ah, the young Miss Rosenburg greets us with her lovely presence." Evelyn said, her voice sickenly sweet.

"Hello, Lady Evelyn, you look beautiful tonight." Amelia's lips pursed.

"My my, what a handsome young man you have with you, quite a catch." Evelyn gave a crooked smile, as Alphonse arrived beside of Amelia, his face emotionless.

She glanced at the blond hiding 'her' face with a red fan that matched her dress, gold eyes gazing at her slowly. Her head inclines down to the young 'man's' direction as well.

"Who are your friends?"

"This is Lady Edwina." Amelia introduced, "We went to finishing school together. Behind her is my driver, Elton."

"Allowing your driver into such an event? You are too generous, my dear girl." Evelyn let out a sickly giggle.

"He is my guard," Amelia quickly tacked on. "Speaking of our choice of guests... your fiancé... where is he?"

"Dawdling about near the punch bowl, I assume." Evelyn's demeanor changed to that of irritated.

A small gasping sound was heard and Evelyn inclined her head once again at the one called Elton. His small hands were clutched around the collar of his white dress shirt, loosening the red tie. She recognized the sounds, only faintly, trying to place where she had heard them before.

"Social events make him upset," Al quickly muttered, placing an arm around the sobbing young adolescent. "Come along, before you embarrass your Mistress further."

Al quickly led the boy away, but he tripped and his hat slipped. Evelyn's eyes widened a tad bit at the uneven chesnut locks that were revealed briefly before the hat was hastily readjusted.

"Well... have a good night. Tell your father I'll be... in touch." Evelyn gave another crooked smile, and stalked off.

Amelia released the breath she had been holding, but dread was already weaving its way through her entire being.

"We need to get the stone, and get the hell outta here." Ed hissed.

Nodding, Amelia quickly made her signal to Salinger by dropping her handkerchief. He quickly motioned to Archer, who leaned against the curtain. He clapped his hands softly behind his back, feeling the flame dancing on his hand but not burning him, slowly heating the cotton material.

The stout man on the stage had just wheeled out the case containing the opal. Archer smirked, as he felt the material begin to burn behind him. Suddenly, he felt a cold gaze pierce his vision, and he was staring straight into the eyes of tall woman, with blond curly hair. Evelyn's eyes bulged in surprise as she witnessed the flame erupting from behind Archer, the curtains dancing with flames. Realization dawned on her face, and her eyes narrowed in a foreboding expression

The screams erupted immediately as chaos began, as planned. Within seconds Al was on the stage and had swiped the stone, before lunging off the stage. They scrambled in separate directions, running for any exit possible to escape the flames inching closer.

"Elora!" Amelia accidentally screamed when she noticed her sister tripping.

Elora gasped as she hit the floor hard, wondering what she had stumbled over. She rolled onto her side and froze, seeing the black heeled foot that had obviously tripped her. She slowly gazed up and into the face of the woman who had brutally tortured her.

"I knew it was you, you brat." Evelyn hissed.

Elora couldn't speak, fear surged in every part of her body.

Her cold eyes were livid, "Don't take me for an idiot. I know what you're doing. You're causing so much trouble, little one." Evelyn whispered as she knelt down, grabbing Elora's face roughly. "I would kill you now, you troublesome brat, but I still need you... so how about I make you a deal?"

The brunette couldn't breathe as the demon-woman's hands held on tighter, the flames dancing behind her like the flames of hell themselves.

"What...what is it?" She sputtered.

"Finish the stone." Evelyn simply whispered. "Finish the stone and I won't have what's precious to you killed."

Elora let out a tiny squeal as Evelyn let go of her face, smirked, and walked off into the fire.

"Elora!

She jerked her head up, expecting to see Al, but instead saw Archer.

"C'mon!" Archer shouted, snatching her hand.

Elora felt herself being pulled to her feet before Archer dragged her out of the burning room. Without warning, he picked up a chair and threw it through a window. Elora screamed as he tossed her out of it, him following suit.

"You guys okay?" Ed asked, rushing toward them and now clad in his normal attire, which he had been wearing under the dress.

"STOP THEM! THIEVES!"

The stubby man from before was standing in the middle of the crowd, hand pointed right at the group, Evelyn towering behind him

"Shit! Leaving would be a good idea!" Ed exclained.

"I second that, let's go!" Archer ran briskly, as a large mob began to form, headed by the man.

He turned to find Elora and Ed gone, and a weight fell into his stomach.

"ARCHER!" A voice called in front of him.

Alphonse was fighting his way through the madness, trying to reach Archer. Archer gasped as pain throbbed through his entire being, and he could taste blood in his mouth. Clutching his ribs, the flame alchemist felt Al's hold on his waist, pulling him to his feet.

"We need to get to the station!" Salinger hissed the moment they met up again.

Ed nodded, "Split up, now!"

Without warning, Ed snatched Elora's wrist and pulled her onto his back piggy-back style before taking off. Salinger didn't even pause before scooping Amelia in his arms like he would a damsel in distress, and at the current moment she was, before running the opposite way.

Archer flinched, "Alphonse..."

"Don't worry, Archer, we'll be okay."

"Come on, we need to get to the station!"

Archer's demeanor switched to urgent and demanding as he grabbed Al's wrist, and pulled him into the opposite direction of Ed and Elora. The train station was in complete disorienting, disarray the moment the two reached it. They could hear the trains whistle, urging them to board.

"Where are the others?" Al groaned, fear spreading across his face.

"Don't worry about them, they'll be fine, they know where we're supposed to be going, just get on!" Archer motioned to the train doors.

Al hesitated for a split second.

"Now!" Archer snapped, shoving him.

Al stumbled but hopped on board, quickly hurrying down the cars' corridor and heading for the luggage compartment. He could hear Archer's heavy breathing behind him as they entered the darkness of the dimly lit car.

"Elora? Brother? Amelia? Salinger?"

"Calm down, the train hasn't left yet, they'll get on...I'm sure." But even Archer didn't buy his words.

Al sent him a look as the train lurched, sending Archer stumbling backwards into a crate and slamming his already painfully sore ribs against the hard wood. The dark blond stumbled and hurried to open the door, his hair whipping wildly in the night wind as he looked around. Across the way, aboard the train heading in the opposite direction, Al could faintly see two figures huddling on the back of the train. Even in the darkness, he recognzing the golden blond locks, bound back in a braid.

"BROTHER!"

Ed jerked his head up at the familiar cry, cursing loudly as he realized they were on the wrong train. It was too late, the trains were gathering too much speed. Jumping now would only result in suicide for both Elora and himself.

"Where's Amelia and Salinger?" Archer grunted, clutching his ribcage while wiping the blood off the corner of his mouth.

Al jerked his focus back toward the station where a loud piercing scream was heard.

"No..." Al whispered, collapsing to his knees. "Amelia..."

"Al don't... Salinger wouldn't let something happen to her." Archer mumbled.

"Where is that train going, Archer? Where is it taking my brother and Elora?"

"I'm not sure, but trust me Al, they'll be alright. We can't let this hinder our search, we have to continue to Brazil and get the stones."

Al pulled his knees to his chest and did something that shocked Archer entirely.

He started to cry.

"Al..." Archer was shattered. The sight of seeing Al crying was something strange to him. He sat down beside of the young boy, and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. "They'll be fine, all of them."

Al rubbed his eyes with his hands, "Why didn't I listen to my gut? We should've followed them!"

"Alphonse, both of them are smart. Elora will probably know it would be counterproductive to backtrace here. I'm sure they'll go looking for the stones in Iran and Egypt. We'll find them much faster this way, I promise you, they'll be fine."

Al whimpered, "What about Amelia and I-Irvine?"

"Amelia is a very important person in society, no one would be stupid enough to harm her."

"Where is this train going...?" Al then whispered, sniffling.

"It'll take us to Spain, we'll get off on a boat heading to the coast of America. From there, we'll take another boat to Brazil."

Brown eyes locked on gray, "We have to find them soon, Archer. I hate being away from Brother."

"We'll find them, the stones are our first priority though."

"I know..."

Al closed his eyes and buried his face in his arms, unable to breathe properly as the train took them farther away from the ones he loved more than his own life.

* * *

Ed cursed and punched the wall, hanging his head and shaking in anger.

"Calm down, Ed." Elora patted his back.

"How can I freakin' calm down? My brother's on some godforsaken train heading no-one-knows-where-the-hell-where!"

"Al, he's heading to Brazil with Archer, they'll be fine." Elora said soothingly.

"Elora, he's my brother." Ed gritted his teeth.

"And Archer is mine. I know what I'm saying. This was unfortunate, but we can use it to our advantage."

Ed sighed and tried to clear his head, "Where are we going?"

"It's heading east... We should head for Iran, Egypt, Japan, and Thailand."

"Where first?" Ed slumped back on the wall.

Elora stood up and began to look at the map posted on the wall, "We're heading Southeast... Iran. We should be getting off in Ukraine."

"Okay so then what...?"

"Well, the Dragon's Heart is rumored to be in Russia. I guess we'll just meet up there, in Moscow..." Elora sighed.

She was rubbing her face, which was red and swelling. Within an instant, Elora found herself being pressed against the wall and Ed's fingers gently holding her chin, turning her head to the left and right and inspecting her face.

"Tell me what happened _now_."

Elora felt the tears welling up and blurring her vision, but she swallowed hard, her pride stepping into play. The last thing she wanted was for Ed to see her cry.

Gold eyes flickered, "Someone hurt you. Tell me, Lor..."

"E-Evelyn..." Elora croaked, "She t-threatened me..."

"What did she say?"

"F-Finish the stone... a-and what's most p-precious t-to me w-won't d-die..."

The alchemist cursed as he realized what the woman had meant.

"Amelia..."

Neither spoke as a lamenting silence fell upon them.

* * *

**ETP: Cliffy...**

**PK: So much happened!**

**ETP: How will they cope now that they're seperated?**

**PK: Find out soon!  
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	11. Chapter 11

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Chapter XI

Breakdown

Alphonse stepped onto dry land at last. It had been nearly a month since he last had foot on solid ground, not counting the switching of boats in a harbor off the coast of America. He breathed in deep; his lungs filled with fresh air, the wind whipped his hair around his face. He was in a much better mood, knowing that he would not have to be in a boat for a while. Archer, on the other hand, was quite disheveled. He swayed groggily as he stalked off the boat, a grim look on his face. Al had never seen the youth like this. Archer's usual quiet and reserved demeanor was thrown away. His face had a green tinge, and he doubled over as he grabbed onto Alphonse's jacket for support.

"Thank God that we're off that damn boat." He seethed, the effects of seasickness still shining on his face.

Al chose to stand in silence, watching the boy in amusement. For the past month he had tried hard to put his thoughts away from the others. The thought of them hurt or injured made him cringe. He had never been away from his brother for so long since they had been separated for two years, and it was really starting to take a toll on him.

"Come on, we need to get out of town and find somewhere to lay hidden while we search for the stones. Perhaps a nice cave." Archer was slowly returning back to his normal self, but he still lurched every now and then as the stomped off in search of a place to stay.

Brazil was beautiful, Al thought. The shore had a light blue tent that serenely melted into dark blue. The beach along which they set off was bright and soft, with elegant wisps of grass lining the edge. The trumped into the forest, far away from the town, deep into leafy green trees that lined the forest floor.

After what seemed like hours of walking, in which Archer had regained his composure, they finally found their way to a tiny mountain side. They searched along the rocky terrain, spotting a cozy cave hidden in the evening shadow. Alphonse had grown quite exhausted, and he plopped down on the cavern floor and nestled up to the cold stone to rest.

Archer pulled out his alchemy text, and started to let his mind wander. He missed Elora, she was such a big part of who he was, and it was strange being separated from her once again. He had lied to Alphonse many times in their month long trip, trying to reassure the boy that everyone was safe, but he didn't believe his own words. He sat up almost every night, not being able to properly sleep on the ship anyways, thinking of what could have happened to the others. He felt stupid now, for leaving the continent. He left Elora in the same place with Evelyn, and he had seen how Evelyn taunted her before they got away at the auction.

He furrowed his brow, and stared hard at the text. Arthur was suppose to have left hidden riddles in it, but Archer had not found a single thing in it so far, he felt miserable, his intelligence had been his best gift, but it was failing him. Absent mindedly, he tossed it to his side, and began to produce high flames that licked his finger as they were rooted in his palm. He stared deeply into the flames, and concentrated hard on Elora. Suddenly, and without meaning too, it seemed that her face had appeared in the fire, but then it was gone.

He had been daydreaming, surely.

His want to see Elora after so long, coupled with the exhaustion and the seasickness he had been dealing with, made his mind delirious. But no, there she was again, her eye's gleaming out of the fire. This time, her face made to open her mouth, but again it was gone, leaving Archer feeling confused, and even lonelier.

Archer was determined now. He screwed his eyes up, and thought of nothing but Elora, concentrating all his thoughts into the fire that lay in his hands. Soon, her face appeared a shining jewel in a fiery darkness that had been the last month. He was afraid now, the face was not leaving, but it looked scared and bewildered.

"…Elora?" He dared to talk aloud.

"Archer? What's going on? I feel dizzy, how am I hearing your voice?" The fire hissed her voice, but the tone was still present.

"I don't know. I just thought of you while I was performing some flame alchemy. You're face in my fire right now!" Archer exhaled quickly, and his eyes darted to Alphonse who began to stir. He felt a little guilty at not waking him just yet, but he wanted to see Elora by himself.

"It must be our blood connection. We've been bonded by blood and alchemy when you helped me gain alchemic powers." She exclaimed brightly.

"Considering that, I could contact Ed and Alphonse this way as well, very useful." Archer felt a tad stupid. There had been a way of contacting Elora all this time. He should have been smart enough to figure this out before.

Elora had tears running down her face, "I'm so happy to see you."

"Me too. It's been so long! How are you? How is everyone?" Archer had so many questions he wanted to ask.

"We're good, we're fine. Ed and I... well... we're in Iran..."

"Getting the other stones, I see. I knew you'd go looking for the rest, instead of waiting for us. I'm proud of you." He beamed at the fire.

Elora blushed and said, "It's been hard on Ed and me... he keeps screaming in his sleep... crying out for Alphonse..."

"That's...awful. Alphonse has been very quiet, he won't talk much. I try to be as helpful as I can..." Archer gave a weak smile.

"Where are you two? Where is he? Can I see him?"

"We're...we've just arrived in Brazil. We found a cave off away from everything to stow away in for a while. He's asleep right now; I'll wake him if you want me too." Archer looked a tad disappointed.

Elora bit her lip, "That's okay. It's probably best if I don't see him right now. It'll only make things harder."

"I'll try to contact you when he wakes up, he needs to speak to Edward, and both of them need some comfort." Archer's smile returned. "Do you know what happened to Salinger and Amelia? Are they with you?"

"We hoped they were with you," Elora's breathing hitched and panic flashed across her face, which Archer noticed looked different somehow. Older, losing the baby-faced youth it had normally held.

"...I'm sure they're fine, Amelia is important, no one will hurt her, you know this. I'm sure where ever she is, Salinger is with her." Archer tried to comfort her.

"I'm important too, Arch, and that didn't stop them from beating me almost to death." Elora looked pained, "Some of my wounds got reopened during the escape. Ed's been having to change my bandages a lot more."

"I hope you're going to be okay, if something would happen to you..." Archer trailed off, and decided not to mention his own injury during the escape. "Listen, me and Al will be done in Brazil soon, and we'll be coming back. Once we're together, we'll find Amelia."

"We have to. Archer, she's my sister. I love her more than anything."

"I know you do, we will find her." Archer was beginning to feel very light headed now. He was using so much strength to talk to Elora like this, and he was already physically weak in the first place. "Listen, I have to go, but after I've rested, Alphonse and I will get into contact with you and Ed, stay safe, please." He gave her a brotherly smiley.

Elora wiped her eyes, "You too... I love you, Archer."

"I love you too." And he finally let the flames extinguish, hoping with everything inside of himself, that he would see her face again.

Archer slumped over, too weary to keep his eyes open, finally allowing rest to drape over him like a gentle blanket.

Elora furiously wiped her eyes just before Ed stirred; rolling over in the small bed they were sharing in an abandoned shack they had stumbled upon.

"Lor? Why you cryin'?"

"I just talked to Archer." She whispered quietly.

"What? How?" Ed sat straight up, his face alert.

Elora sighed, "Remember how I told you how I got my alchemy? Archer and I did a blood exchange and it bonded us... we just discovered he can communicate with me."

"That's great! We can talk to Alphonse, and see how everyone is! What did he say? Was Salinger and Amelia with them?" His face was in one of the biggest smiles Elora has witnessed in a month.

"Edward...Alphonse is doing fine. He's been very quiet, but he's alive..." Elora's voice trailed off, and the thought of Amelia haunted her senses.

Ed recognized the look on her face, "They're... not with them... are they?"

Elora just shook her head, and a fresh wave of tears dampened her face.

She hid her face into her hands, loathing herself for allowing herself to appear so weak in front of Ed.

Ed draped his arm around her shoulder, and pulled her close to himself. He whispered into her ear "It's alright, we'll find them."

Elora stiffened at the feeling of warm lips brushing against her ear. Ed's forehead pressed against her temple as he ran his fingers through her short hair. She subconsciously shivered, not as unaware of the man beside her as she played off. Yes, she loved Ed like she would a brother, but that didn't stop her attraction to him.

"Everything...everything will work out." He breathed.

Al was going to murder them both.

"I hope so, Edward."

She turned her face, her gaze colliding with Ed's. An uncharacteristic blush crossed the blond's face before he quickly jerked back, scowling slightly at the wall. Guilty images of Winry hit him hard.

Elora looked away, also guiltily thinking of Al. She felt vile for even considering for a split second that Ed would ever want her that way. It was wrong, both morally and emotionally.

"Maybe I should sleep by myself tonight..." Ed suggested, feeling worse.

"Don't be stupid. The floor would kill your back. You've got worse bruises than I do." Elora replied sharply.

"You're right..." He half smiled.

Elora took a deep breath and lied back down in the bed, lying against him. Ed's arm immediately wrapped around her and he placed his other behind the pillow. She shut her eyes and listened to his breathing.

They were scared, lonely, and vulnerable. The ones they loved were far away, and being stuck together for the past month had deepened their relationship. They were human. He was a young man, desperately longing for Winry. She was teenage girl, her hormones were off, and she wanted to be with Al so much it was painful.

"We'll get through this, Edward. Just a little longer..."

Even though Archer was last to fall asleep, he still woke up earlier than Alphonse, who was still resting quietly in the same position he fell asleep in. Archer rubbed his head, and tried to comb out his hair with his fingers, parting it out of his eyes as he slid his glasses back on. He picked up the alchemy text that he had accidentally fallen asleep on, and cracked it open once more. He shifted the pages, finding a new chapter that he had not yet gone over in great detail.

The chapter made no sense to him. All the words were in a foreign language, which he greatly assumed was Russian. He flipped through the chapter, crestfallen to find that every page had the same language. If only Elora was here, she knew many different languages. He thought of talking with her through the fire, but he still didn't feel up to strength to attempt it again.

Archer felt disappointed with himself again. Ever since he was separated from Elora, his confidence and personality had been declining. He was less witty and reserved as he usually was, and he constantly doubted himself. Before, he could easily answer something without a second thought on whether or not he was wrong, but now he felt completely useless.

Wet tears began to form at his eyes, and he felt disgusted with himself for letting such a petty issue get to him. He needed to overcome this perfectionist obsession he had.

Suddenly, through the thoughts rattling his brain, his eyes skimmed over a poem, hastily scrawled in minuet writing in the corner of a page. The writing was definitely Arthur's. Archer recognized it from other things he had written in the text. The poem went as followed.

_Within the tundra country, purest alchemy can be found_

_ Innocence of heart look towards the mountains_

_ Caucasus welcomes thee with heavenly embrace_

_ Dragon's eyes search for the heart._

He recognized that name.

Where had he heard it before...?"

Tapping his finger to his chin thoughtfully, Archer tried placing the name with lakes and rivers, frowning.

"Mountains!"

It hit him out of nowhere.

Caucasus was a mountain range that settled through Russia. He could remember Arthur talking about them. Why had Arthur not told Elora and himself this before he passed, why did he have to leave behind riddles? Perhaps in case his text fell into the wrong hands? Perhaps he simply could not say?

Archer didn't know, but he knew whatever the reason, Arthur had done it for a good purpose. A smile spread across his face, they were closer than ever to getting the stones, and now they finally had a narrower location to where the Dragon Heart laid. He couldn't wait to tell Elora.

"A-Archer...?"

Alphonse had finally woke, and Archer, in his excitement, had completely

forgotten that he was sharing the cave with the boy.

"Alphonse! I have great news!" Archer beamed.

Al was wide-eyed, "What is it? Did you find out something about Brother?"

"They're safe; I talked to Elora last night!" He didn't think his smile could grow any wider.

"W-What? How!"

"Our blood connection. I was thinking about her last night, while I was doing fire alchemy. Her face appeared in the fire, and I could talk to her."

Al's face darkened, "Why didn't you let me talk to her? Don't you know how much I've missed her?"

"Al, you were asleep... I didn't want to wake you." Archer was taken aback, surprised by Al's change in attitude.

Al's fists clenched and the most shocking thing occurred. Al took a swing at Archer, his fist connected with the scholar's shoulder.

"Dammit, Archer, why did you have to be selfish? Why? You know how I feel! You know how much my heart has been breaking!"

"I know, Alphonse, b-but…" Suddenly, something overtook Archer, and his voice rose, "Do you know how it felt! Do you! She is my sister, and I haven't seen her in a month, and the only thing she cared about was talking to you. You have Elora and Edward, Alphonse; you don't know what it's like, being the fifth wheel all the time. I know it was selfish, but for once, for once in the past six months, I wanted Elora to myself!"

Al recoiled, his teeth ground as he saw a new side to Archer he had never laid eyes on before.

"I'm...I'm sorry for not waking you Alphonse, and I'm sorry for yelling just now, it was very rude of me." Archer's face squashed into most pathetic and depressing emotions Al had ever seen, as he motioned to step outside of the cave.

Al felt his chest burn and clench, "I'm sorry too... I've just... I was selfish too. I wanted her all to myself... I never once thought of how it must've felt for you. You're the one who's been helping me, especially since I can't go to Ed..."

"We've both acted foolish." Archer almost smiled, and a brotherly surge of emotion swelled inside him. "I promise, whenever you feel like talking to either of them, I'll let you."

Al smiled back, "And I'll let you talk to Elora in private."

"Thank you." Archer patted him on the shoulder, a bit awkwardly.

Al rubbed his arm, "So, uh, what else did you have to tell me?"

"Oh, that's right! I found where the location of the Dragon Heart is." He drawled a small breath. "It's somewhere in the Caucasus Mountains in Russia!"

"That's way better than wandering around all of Russia! Great job, Archer!"

"Thanks to Arthur's notes." He shrugged sheepishly.

"I can't wait to get the stones and get back to Brother and Elora!"

"I feel quite the same; it really shouldn't take more than a week to get them if we travel fast enough, then another month at sea..."

The thought was a grim speck in his happy euphoria.

Al frowned, "Maybe we can find a quicker way to get back... or a shorter sea route."

"Or...maybe..." But Archer trailed off, he didn't think he wise to tell Alphonse that they might be able to travel by fire. He knew the boy would want to leave immediately, but Archer himself was so weak, he didn't know if he could muster the strength. No, he'd keep the information to himself until the stones were gathered; he had to give Al some sort of motivation.

"Alright so... which stones are we looking for?" Al then asked.

"The peridot, aquamarine, and...amethyst." Archer's voice shook the last word.

Al's body went rigid and he suddenly found a few strange bugs crawling across the ground much more interesting.

"Well, anyways, we're heading for the peridot. I'm sure we can get to it by the end of the day, just some more traversing farther into the country." Archer announced, cutting the tension.

"Mmhm," Al replied absently, his eyes distant.

"...If I let you talk to them, will you cheer up, please?" Archer offered, even though he knew he wasn't physically up for it.

Al shook his head, "We need to eat, and you look too exhausted to even light a twig. No offense."

"None taken." Archer chuckled. "Alright, we'll eat and then head off, I'm sure by tomorrow I'll be rested enough to make contact again."

Archer smiled at his own words, and hoped, when the time came, that he'd be strong enough to transport Alphonse and himself home.

Elora awoke to the feeling of Ed's chest rising and falling evenly. Somehow she had managed to end up pulled halfway across Edward's chest, her cheek resting on his shoulder, and her fingers gripping his shirt. His arm was draped around her waist as he snored lightly and mumbled incoherently in his sleep.

Groaning slightly, Elora sat up slightly, stretching. Too lazy to roll off completely, Elora leaned over Ed's face, lightly tapping him on the cheek.

"Ed, wake up."

"Wha... Win...ry..."

Half-asleep and partially still in his dreamworld, Ed's hand went to the back of Elora's hand and tugged her down until their lips met. Elora's eyes widened as she gave a muffled protest, but the blond's lips had already silenced her. Unable to pull free, Elora balled her fist up and went to punch Ed upside the head, but he released her moments before she could bring it down.

She gasped wildly, her face bright red as she sprung backwards from the bed, knocking into the old small table and toppling it over. It crashed to the floor with a loud thud, Ed shooting up immediately, alarmed and alert.

Gold eyes lazily turned to Elora, who was in the corner with her hands clamped over her mouth, her knees brought to her chest and her legs angled out.

"Oh, hey Elora."

"DON'T 'HEY ELORA' ME, YOU PEDOPHILE!"

Ed blinked in confusion, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You... you... but... argh...kiss...ARGH!" Elora finally settled for a frustrated scream.

Ed sweatdropped, "Elora, what are you going on about?" A wide and impish grin crossed his face. "Ohh, I get it. Were you having dirty dreams about me again?"

"NO! I don't have dirty dreams about you! You...k-kissed me!" Elora stammered.

"Oh, right. I'm sure I was kissing you tons in that dream you were having." Ed gave an arrogant laugh.

Elora fumed and stood up, "No, you idiot. You kissed me. Just three minutes ago."

"...What are you talking about?" Ed blushed, and looked away.

"You were having some dream about that mechanic chick and thought I was her, you delirious bastard!"

Ed went a deeper shade of red. "I-I...it was an accident, I was...asleep."

Elora's fists were shaking at her sides, "Accident or not, Edward, you stole a kiss. From a fifteen year old girl. Pedo."

"Oh calm down! It's not like I copped a feel or anything."

"Ed, two more seconds and I swear you were gonna slip me tongue!"

"Fine! What do you want me to say? I'm sorry! I was asleep." He snarled.

Elora was quiet and that was when Ed saw the real reason why she was so upset.

"Elora... I'm sorry... I know this is hard on... both of us..." He couldn't believe he was admitting his attraction to her. "I'll try and behave."

"...Thank you." Elora ignored his gaze, and instead, stared at her feet.

Ed rubbed the back of his neck.

_Dammit this is so awkward. Ugh. I do feel like a bastard._

"Well, we're close to the next stone, I think it's time to head out." Ed declared, jumping to his feet.

Yeah..." Elora replied distantly, finding it hard to look at Ed.

She couldn't ignore the tingling of her lips or how fast her heart was racing. Ed's kiss was different from Al's. Al's was tender and soft. Ed's had been fire.

She turned and bent down to retrieve her blouse, which had been resting on the now fallen table, only to hiss as she felt shearing pain down her back and warm blood bubble to the surface.

"Lor!" Ed gasped, as he reached her in seconds.

She ground her teeth, jerking away from how close he was. "I-I'm fine," she hissed.

Ed's eyes flickered, "No, you're not. You need to be treated. Your bandages haven't been changed in a few days anyway."

Ed moved to her side, and began to help her remove the bandages, he hoped that her injuries would heal faster; he hated seeing her like this. Elora flinched when Ed came to her shoulders. She knew he couldn't change them without her first removing her shirt. Clenching her eyes shut, she quickly peeled off her tank, shielding her bare chest at once and ignoring the fact Ed was being much more gentle than usual.

"Once we get you fixed up, we'll head for the stone. We're close, I can feel it." Ed attempted to make conversation.

"I can't believe we've come so far, it doesn't seem real. We've spent so much time together, and soon, we'll be finished with the stone hunting..." Elora closed her mouth; she didn't want to think of what would happen when their journey ended.

Ed finished tightening and tying the last of the bandages, waiting for Elora to pull her tank back on and shrug on her blouse. She buttoned it somewhat to fight against the chill.

"Resembool can be your home too; you know... that'd make m - Al happy."

"I'm an outsider... it's a small village..."

"Lor, you'd be completely welcome by everyone." His face formed a frown.

She mumbled something that sounded a lot like "not Winry..." as she went to check their supplies.

"...Winry would be happy to have you too." Ed lied.

He didn't know how Winry would feel about Elora. Part of Winry would surely love Elora like a sister, but there was always a chance Winry may not like how fond Ed had grown of the younger girl.

"Ed...just promise me something," Elora's words snapped Ed out of his own thoughts, "Promise me...you won't leave me, when we get there."

Ed blinked, "Leave you? Why would I leave you? What kinda person do you take me for? I'm going to bring two otherworlders to a new place and just abandon them?"

Elora's lips found their way to a smile. "I know you won't, but...I still want you to promise."

"Of course I promise, Lor. You're like family."

The two exchanged smiles, and shared an awkward hug, before making their way outside, and starting the search for the next stone.

Archer and Alphonse drew quick breaths of relief. They had made it Minas Gerais, a state in Brazil. A tall mountain stood before the two boys, and Archer, who was doubled over trying to rest his body, smirked sideways at Alphonse.

"The peridot is in a cave, somewhere in this mountain." He breathed.

"So we have to search caves until we find a peridot?" Al asked, looking somber.

Archer nodded, "Which shouldn't be too hard. I suggest we start with ground level."

"Alright." Al marched off towards the towering mountain, Archer walking in his wake.

The two exchanged a few words here and there, but mainly walked in silence. They searched five caves, all ending up with nothing, and it was beginning to grow dark.

"Al, I think...we'll have to climb." Archer turned to Alphonse, a grim and painful look plastered behind his reddish hair.

Al looked ready to cry but bit back his emotions.

They found a sturdy spot, not to steep, to start their ascent. Alphonse in front, Archer watching his footing behind. The rocks were digging into their palms, and dirt dug underneath their fingernails, Archer felt the sweat pouring down his face, and he regretted not removing his coat for the trip. Every now and then, a rock would slip beneath their feet, and a moment of panic would set in. Thankfully, neither had actually fallen.

They slipped and fell a few times, but the determination pushed them nearly beyond their limits. It had been at least twenty minutes before they found flat ground. A narrow ledge was carved into the side of the mountain, and there, nestled hidden between to overgrown bushes, was a cave.

"There!" Al pointed happily, as he spotted the dwelling.

"Come on, Al!" Archer led the way, carefully positioning his feet. "Watch the ledge there, Al, it's-"

But Archer was cut off as Al had just slipped on the very same piece of ledge. Al grabbed for the hem of Archer's coat, but its fabric slipped between his fingers, and Archer gasped as he watched the young male fall towards the side of the cliff, the ledge breaking beneath his feet.

"AL!" Archer screeched, as he got on his knees, looking over the side, preparing himself for the worst.

"I'm alright, Archer!" Al called to him.

Archer breathed a heavy sigh, thanking that Al was not harmed. He peered over the ledge, and found Al fifteen feet down, resting on another, but much smaller, piece of ledge.

"Listen, go on into the cave, I'll try to make my way back up!" Al called again.

Archer hesitated, not comfortable with separating.

"...are you sure?"

"It will be okay, don't worry." Al beamed.

Archer feared that the second he looked away, Al would disappear too, just like Elora and Ed. He ignored his emotions, inhaled deeply, and turned around to step inside the cave.

It was beautiful, much more inviting than the other caves he had explored that day. Glistening silver crystals lined the black cold walls of the cave, sending rays of light shooting off in different directions, illuminating the cave floor.

"Breathtaking," Archer whispered.

But, to what he could see, none were the pale green color of the peridot, so he trudged forward, hoping that the farther he searched inside of the giant cave, the closer he'd come to getting the stone.

The cave spiraled downwards, but steadily, so Archer found the walk quite easy. He flicked his fingers, and a bright fire erupted in his palm. Light to lead his way. The flames glistened off the stones, sparkling prettily and almost distracting him. They really were beautiful. He wished that Elora was there to see it as well.

He pushed his mind from the thought; he had to keep it on the peridot. Soon, they black walls turned light grey, and the crystals disappeared, leaving nothing but a miserable ugly look in its place. Archer's mood began to match the color; he felt worse the farther down he went. Surely, he would have seen a peridot by now.

He came to a stop, feeling uneasy and tempted to turn around. He felt horrible for leaving Al behind. Honestly, deep down he was scared to be all alone. He had only been on his own a short while, the time frame between when Arthur passed away and Elora breaking out of St. Jurgen's...

Suddenly, a dim wash of green broke him from his thoughts, and lying encrusted in the cave wall, was a dazzling green peridot. Happiness flooded his very being.

He frowned though as he approached, wondering how to get it off.

He then recalled Elora's story of the moonstone.

_"I spent hours and hours trying to break it off... it was so pretty though and I wanted Teacher to have it..."_

He didn't have hours.

He screwed up his mind, and, with a stroke of brilliance, slapped his hand against the cave wall, pulling out a strong, alchemic stone sword.

"Thank you, Edward." Archer smirked, noting the design was much similar to that of the spears the Elric brothers produced.

He held it high above his head, and, in a swift jerk, brought the great sword harshly down upon the peridot, which immediately broke free from its restraints, and tumbled to the ground. Archer beamed as he snatched it up, stowed it away in his pocket, and began the walk back up to the surface

He couldn't believe it. They had retrieved another stone. One step closer, and he had done it without his sister there by his side.

_Maybe...maybe I'm not useless. Look what I've done. _

And, with a new found confidence, Archer reached the mouth of the cave, and came face to face with Alphonse.

"Archer, you're okay!"

Al embraced him, catching the redhead off-guard.

"Better than okay! Look!" Archer held up the brilliant stone, once Al had released him.

Al's eyes widened, "Wow... its pretty." He reached his hand out so he could touch it.

"That's one stone down, two more to go, Al. We'll be back to Ed and Elora before you know it!" Archer had not felt this happy the entire time he had been separated from his sister.

Al nodded, eyes still transfixed on the stone.

Archer took off his glasses and wiped them on his sleeve, before replacing them back on his head. "It would be a good idea to sleep here tonight and search for the other stones tomorrow. We need our rest."

"Soon... soon we'll be together again..." Al whispered, only halfway hearing the scholar.

Archer had the urge to give Alphonse a reassuring hug, but refrained from doing so.

The honey blond settled himself down beside the boy, still staring at the stone, almost as if it was speaking words of comfort only he could hear in a voice that soothed his soul.

"Archer... tomorrow, do you think I could talk to Ed and Elora?" Al asked, eyes still on the stone.

"I said I would let you, didn't I? Of course." The scholar flashed a smile.

Al smiled softly, "I can't wait to see their faces..." He hesitated and then frowned, "Um, I know this is going to sound weird but... do you think... that maybe Ed and Lor... will..."

"No, I don't." Archer replied, as if reading his mind.

"Even by accident? They're so close now... and you can't tell me you can't see that sometimes... it's almost borderline -"

"Alphonse, your brother would not betray you like that."

"...You're right..." Al didn't look as if believed himself.

Archer sighed and pulled out a small scrap of parchment, "Look. I have guiltily found myself thinking the same thing so I took notes. Ed and Elora are nearly six years apart in age and they fight for about seventy percent of the time. You are the one she goes to when she is scared and isn't afraid to show her feelings. She kissed _you_ that night in the barn. She only depends on Ed because he protects her and was there with her when that vile woman harmed them."

"...I don't think like you do, Archer. I don't think with statistics and paper. I think with...my heart. I just don't want to lose her any more than I already have."

"Alphonse, I promise you, nothing will happen between them. Just...be happy that we're closer to seeing them again." Archer was at a loss for words.

Al was quiet for a moment, "I'm not all that Brother is. I'd rather her be with someone like Ed... someone who can be strong and there for her like he is..."

"You are strong, Al. Stronger than your brother, I'd say." Al rolled his eyes. "No, you are. Ed is gifted with alchemy, that is true. But you Alphonse, you're gifted with your heart, your personality. That is what will win Elora over, a strong heart."

Silence fell between them.

"She wants you." Archer replied sharply when Al didn't respond. "That's all that matters. She is my sister and even if she can't admit it, I know she is in love with you. Madly, honest-to-goodness in love with you."

Al's lips twitched, into what was almost a smile, before he sighed and said, "Thank you."

Archer laughed softly and creepily smiled, "Though I would not blame her if she did. Ed is easy to fall for." He said, an almost dreamlike expression on his face.

The look on Al's was horrified, his left eye twitching.

"I'm joking, of course." Archer gave a hearty laugh.

Al nervously laughed, "R-Right. C-Course you w-were. Hehehehehehe..."

"Trust me, as feminine as I come across, and I very much straight." Archer smiled.

Al closed his eyes, "I believe you."

For the most part anyway...

"Well, I'm completely exhausted, and we have a talk with Ed and Elora to look forward to tomorrow, not to mention more stones. Night, Al."

Archer found a nice cozy patch of rock to curl on, as Alphonse did the same. Both boys were asleep in minutes.

"DAMMIT ALL TO HELL!"

Elora sweatdropped from the hundredth outburst from her companion as they slid down the sandy dunes. Ed was ankle-deep in sand to keep himself sturdy while attempting to pull Elora up.

"I. Hate. Sand." Elora fumed.

"You? Try having a 7'3" suit of armor keep sinking and burying you in sand!"

"...Kay, point taken, you hate it more and have a right to do so."

Ed grunted and finally got the wild-alchemist up. Her blouse was tied around her waist and her tights were stowed away. Ed was tempted to take off his shirt, but after that morning's incident, he wasn't sure how Elora would react. Sweating, Ed peered around, trying to make sure they were heading in the right direction of the mountain peak of Ali-Mersai.

"The only thing keeping me going is the fact that I'll never have to come back to Iran ever again." Elora seethed.

"Calm down, Elora." Ed smirked.

"I'm hot, sticky, tired, hungry, pissed, and miss my brother, sister, and boyfriend...thingy... that is Alphonse! Don't tell me to calm down, you Pedo!"

"Still not over this morning, I see." Ed was glad that he kept his shirt on now.

"Like hell I will be." Elora hissed.

Ed glared, "You're only upset because you liked it."

She stopped short, a vein throbbing in her temple.

"Joking!" Ed said hastily, avoiding confrontation in the desert.

Elora smirked evilly, glancing over her shoulder and saying in a sickeningly sweet tone, the same she had used when they had first met, "Maybe you're the one who liked it so much, Elric."

Ed stiffened, his face burning, "Like hell! You're just a brat!"

Elora stood on tip-toe, putting her face incredibly close.

"...Then why are you blushing, Edward?"

"I'm not blushing! The thought is just making me sick." He snapped.

"Then why haven't you backed away from me? Admit it. You think I'm attractive. You can't be dumb enough not to notice I've been developing these past six months. Just admit it. That's why you kissed me this morning. You knew what was going on."

"I'll admit that you're becoming attractive, but that kiss this morning, that was an accident. I know what you mean to Alphonse and I'd never do that to him!" Ed's face burned.

Elora stepped back at the mention of Al, "It's just been bothering me. That night shortly after we escaped Poland... when those drunken bastards slapped me inappropriately... I've never seen you act that way before, Ed. Why did you do that? Why did you nearly kill them?"

"Elora, isn't it obvious?" Ed hesitated.

"No, it's not obvious, which is why I'm demanding answers. You haven't given a damn about me since the beginning. Why start now?"

"I've grown attached to you Elora! I care about you. I...love you." Ed looked away.

The air was eerily still.

"N-Not like Al." Ed quickly corrected himself, "But... I did grow to love you... over time"

Elora released her breath slowly, "Oh, okay."

He twitched, "I'm six years older than you. I can't ever love you any other way, even if I considered it."

"I love you too Ed, not how I love Al, obviously, but I do." She admitted.

They paused for a moment.

Elora quickly added, "Plus I'm not stupid. I just wanted to hear you admit it. I know you've been in love with Winry since you were like... 5"

Ed nodded, "Right. Now can we move forward? I think I've sunk two more inches."

Elora giggled, "Yay, I'm taller than you now!" she cheered.

Ed glared menacingly.

"Er...right, let's go!" Elora spun around, heading toward the mountain far off in the distance.

They traveled for hours, trekking through blistering sands and scorching desert heat. Ed kept watching Elora out of the corner of his eyes, noting how pale she was looking, along with the fact she was thinner than she should've been. Worry was eating at him, especially since he knew Archer and Al would both become gravely upset the moment they saw her again.

"Finally!" Elora shouted with glee.

After hours of walking, and little conversation, the two had finally made it to the base of a large mountain. They had gotten directions from a man in a town nearby.

"Okay so... one of these mines..." Ed gestured around. "Should have the stone."

"Great, this should be fun." Elora's happy demeanor quickly diminished.

"We can split up..." Ed's voice faltered the moment he saw her eyes narrow.

"No, we're not splitting up." Elora was adamant with her tone.

Ed sighed, "Damn, Lor, clingy much." he tried to tease.

She snatched his hand, "Yes and I'm not letting go."

"Alright..." his face became red, "How about, you lift me up there with your wind alchemy?" Ed pointed to a dusty cave a far ways up the mountain.

Elora gave him a dull stare, "Ed, if you haven't noticed, I haven't done any alchemy with my element."

The blond's brows met, "Shit," he realized, "You can't. You're too far from Archer."

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't be, we'll just have to do this the normal way. Ready to climb?" He shrugged sheepishly.

Elora nodded and followed Ed, them both starting to climb up the peak. Ed could hear Elora grunting, every hiss of pain she tried to hide from her wounds, and wanted nothing more than to help her.

Soon, they were getting close to the oval opening he had pointed at early. Ed hoped, for Elora's sake, that they were lucky enough to get a turquoise mine on their first try.

Ed reached the top, "Hey, Lor, I think this might be it!"

He turned to look down, only to freeze.

Elora's entire back was covered in blood, soaking through the damp blue material of her top and the bandages. She was panting and straining, tears slipping down her face.

"Dammit!"

Ed leaned down, and grabbed Elora's hand, hoisting her up in one tug, cradling her in his arms.

"I'm alright, Ed." yet as she said so, she let out a hard cough, blood dribbling down her mouth.

"N-No..."

Ed was panicked. He didn't know what to do. There was so much blood. It coated his hands.

"C'mon, Elora... s-stay awake..."

"Ed, get the stone, it's our first priority. I'll lean against the cave entrance, I'll force myself to stay awake." She mumbled.

He cupped her face, a surprisingly tender touch as his fingertips brushed chestnut strands out of her face.

"Go!" She urged him.

Clenching his eyes shut, Ed forced himself to put her down, turning and running into the mine. It was huge. Sand lined every corner, the dirt walls felt fragile with Ed's touch. The entire place seemed unstable. Ed had to hurry, he couldn't leave Elora alone for long.

Her blood smeared against the wall, his eyes looking frantically for the stone.

_Please... please..._

There!

A small glint of bluish-green shone on his face, and he excitingly hurried over to it, bringing his boot down on it, shattering it instantly.

He scooped the largest piece into his hand, and stashed it in his pocket, before running back outside to Elora.

The sunlight was blinding as he burst outside, frantically looking around.

"El...ELORA?"

Ed didn't see her, gasping in fear.

"Elora!"

He whirled around, finally noticing the small limp figure hidden in the shadows at the mouth of the mine. Elora's head lolled against her shoulders, and her eyes were rolled back inside of her head. Fear struck every part of Edward, as he picked up the young girl in his arms.

"El...El...?"

She gave a soft moan but didn't stir.

The color drained from Ed's face, as the unconscious female that he had come to love lay limp in his arms. Ed didn't know if she'd ever wake.

He pressed his palm over her heart, waiting and feeling her heartbeat. However, when he pulled back his hand, Ed had to freeze. Her chest had blood soaking through it as well. Gold eyes were wide as he trembled, paling as a scream began to build up in his throat.

Ed's scream shook the entire desert as Elora slipped into complete unconsciousness...

**ETP: Cliffy's are so evil...**

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**ETP: And yes... we are tormenting Ed on purpose... hehehe...**

**PK: It's for the lolz.**

**ETP: C'mon guys, review please!**


	12. Chapter 12

**ETP: Thanks so much for the awesome reviews we got since we last updated!**

**PK: Hope you enjoy this latest update!**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own FMA.**

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Chapter XII

Undetermined Truth

Morning was approaching fast, and the sun was rising over the vast expanses of sand, casting a dim light on the small village of Asadahein nestled close to the towering mountain of Ali-Mersai. Edward Elric had used every bit of strength he possessed to carry Elora off of the mountain, bringing her to a tiny hospital located in the center of the village. The girl had not stirred the entire trip, and her skin grew paler with each second. Ed burst through the wooden doors of the hospital, exasperated and weak. A doctor with a thick black mustache quickly took Elora from his arms, as a nurse led him to a cold metal chair in the waiting room.

It was impossible for Ed to breathe let alone relax, despite the slight relief that the hospital brought. He sat, eyes locked on the doors where she had disappeared from sight, teeth clenched and breathing uneven. He felt a tender touch on his forehead, along with the soothing feeling of a cool wash cloth moping the grim and sweat from his face.

"You look awful." A gentle voice whispered in his ear, "Of course, so does everyone who passes through here."

Ed lifted up his face, and locked his sight on a lovely pair of dark brown eyes.

"Dr. Shevan is the name." the woman slightly grinned, as she wiped the damp cloth across his face one last time.

"Edward, Edward Elric." Ed mumbled, taking his eyes off Dr. Shevan and letting his mind wander back towards Elora.

"Your friend...what happened to her?" Dr. Shevan asked.

Ed didn't say a word. He didn't feel like explaining himself or what happened to a stranger.

"I understand. Other than being a doctor, I work as a translator for the hospital. A lot of people don't want to talk about their experiences." Dr. Shevan sighed, pulling her thick curly black hair into a small ponytail.

Gold orbs flickered, "Is she going to be alright?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't seen her myself yet."

"Farah?"

She turned toward another doctor, nodding and approaching them. They talked briefly before Farah returned, brown eyes looking grim. Ed felt a sickening twist of dread, swallowing hard.

"What?" he dared to breathe.

"She is stable..." Farah hesitated, "However, they found something when they examined her... she seems to hold a very serious illness, Mr. Elric."

"What do you mean! What's wrong with her?" Ed jumped to his feet, tears starting to form in his eyes.

He refused to let them fall, fighting them back with every bit of strength he had left.

"I'm sorry... she must not want to worry you."

Farah closed her eyes and murmured softly in her native tongue, sounding like a prayer, before she reopened her eyes.

"Do not worry. Her illness, dangerous as it is, I have a... feeling that its curable." Farah frowned, "The other doctors, they do not have belief in new medicine."

"What's wrong with her, what is her disease called? What is it doing to her?" Ed bombarded her with questions.

"We're not sure... all we know is that her organs... some of them... they're attacking one another. Has she been coughing up blood?"

A cold wind trailed up Ed's neck, "Frequently..."

Farah sighed, "It seems hereditary."

"Damn..."

Ed knew none of Elora's blood family were alive, so that ruled out any chance of determining what exactly was wrong with her.

"You said you believe there to be a cure? What did you mean?" Ed asked, clenching his fists.

Farah tapped her cheek thoughtfully, "There are ways to treat the body that other doctors do not know of." Her eyes flickered, "Tell me, Mr. Elric, that symbol on the girl's wrist... does it hold a meaning to you?"

Ed stared at her in disbelief. _Alchemy. She knows about alchemy_.

A million different thoughts flew threw Ed's mind at once. Should he tell Farah? It was obvious that she knew what the symbol meant, but maybe it was possible she thought Elora wasn't aware of it's true meaning. Ed didn't want to have another Evelyn and Ryan like event.

At the same time, she was promising a possible cure, and that was more important than anything.

"Yes, it does." Ed whispered.

Farah jolted as the doctor came out again, this time speaking furiously in their native tongue. Farah responded and nodded, gesturing to Ed. He blinked, clearly confused, and slightly irritated they had been interrupted. She turned to look at him.

"Do not give up faith, Edward Elric. The cure is there... all you must do is keep her healthy and make sure she doesn't overexert herself. Do you understand?"

"Y-Yeah, I understand..."

"We'll meet again, soon. I promise." Farah whispered, "You may go and see her. She is resting."

Ed nodded, swallowing hard. "Thank you, Dr. Shevan..."

He sunk back into his chair, bowed his head, and allowed the unavoidable truth torment his mind.

* * *

"Archer, hey! Archer, wake up!" Alphonse yelled, shaking the older boy awake.

"Al?" Archer answered groggily as he stirred.

"Archer, it's time to go, I got everything re-packed while you were resting." Al informed him, with a bright smile on his face.

He sat up, feeling his back tense and throb as it ached.

Archer shook his head, "Why didn't you wake me up? I would have helped."

Al closed his eyes and shrugged, "You deserved some rest."

"Thank you." Archer grinned, and felt grateful for the gesture.

"So..." Al trailed off.

"You want to talk to Elora and Ed?" Archer chuckled.

"Please!"

"Alright, let me try."

Archer rested his back against the cool cave wall as Al took a seat beside of him. The dark blond gripped the knees of his pants, clearly anxious. He bit his lip and didn't make a sound, not wanting to break his companion's concentration.

Archer glared into his palm, as a brilliant fire burst into his hands. His eyes bore into the living flame, and he thought of nothing but Elora. He felt happiness swell inside of him for the second time since their group was split. A faint outline of a face that was unmistakably Elora's bobbled in and out of focus, until it vanished completely.

"What happened?" Al cried.

"She's too weak to establish the link. It works both ways, Al." Archer looked deeply troubled, "I wonder if she is alright..."

"Try brother!"

Archer frowned, "I'm not sure if it will work. Elora and I are connected by our elemental alchemy..."

"But we're connected through blood exchange, it's worth a try…"

"Alright, I will try Edward. Give me a second."

And Archer went back to focusing once again, his eyes screwed up in concentration and he didn't let his mind stray from Ed. Surprisingly, Ed's faced began to form in the fire, until a solid outline was present.

"Whoa, what the hell?"

"Brother!" Al shouted in excitement.

"A-Al? Al! Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me! Archer too!"

"Is this what Elora was talking about yesterday? Are you talking through your fire Archer?" Ed queried.

"Yes. Ed, I need you to be honest with me. Where is Elora?" Archer demanded, desperation in his voice.

Ed looked away painfully, "We're in a hospital. She's right beside me, asleep."

"What? What's wrong with her, Ed?"

Archer felt his concentration slipping as terror flooded his thoughts.

"Archer, were Carlisle and Liora, her parents... did either of them contract a fatal disease?"

"Not that I'm aware of... what's this about, Ed?"

"Elora has some sort of disease... but they don't know what it is."

"Is it...f-fatal, brother?" Alphonse stammered.

Ed didn't have to reply.

"No..." Al was at a loss for words.

"This...doctor. Her name is Farah Shevan... she knows about alchemy. I don't know how, but she said that she thinks there is a alchemic cure for her disease." Ed rattled off, trying to keep his brother calm.

Al took several deep and shaky breaths, Archer a still statue beside him from the initial shock. "R-Right... r-right... Central will know... w-what to do."

"Farah... Shevan..." Archer murmured, lost in his thoughts, "I think I know that name..."

It was faint, almost fuzzy, but he felt as if he knew the woman in which Edward spoke.

"Have you ever been to Iran?"

"No, never..."

"Huh..."

Ed interrupted them, "She's going to be okay for now... We got one of the stones."

"And we discovered the location of the Dragon's Heart. It's in the Caucasus Mountains in Russia."

"That's great! We're getting closer to home. Once we're in Shamballa...we'll be able to heal Elora. " Ed exclaimed.

"Until then, just... just promise to keep her safe."

Ed looked mildly offended by the redhead's request.

"You act as if I'm just gonna let her fall completely bedridden."

"Of course not! I'm just... concerned."

"Yeah... know whatcha mean..."

"Ed, I have to go, this method of speaking really drains my energy."

"I'll keep her safe Archer, don't worry to much. Take care of yourself Al!" Ed choked up.

"I love you, Brother!" Al blurted out in desperation.

And then fire dwindled away, and the face of Edward Elric sank into the dark.

* * *

She never knew darkness could feel comforting. As if every worry, so insignificant to the rest of the world, was gently washed away. Elora couldn't feel anything, her entire body numb from the cold air surrounding her. She got to her feet and started to walk forward.

The darkness faded. Suddenly rain was unleashed upon her, echoing against cobblestones underneath her feet. She looked around, not recognizing the remnants of her surroundings. Broken buildings all around her, shattered and barely standing. She stiffened as she saw blood, stained to the ground, unable to be washed away by the purity of the rain falling from the swirling, dark heavens above her.

_Elora..._

She heard her name, hissed in a voice she did not recognizing. She didn't comprehend why her soul quivered in trepidation from the voice, despite how comforting and almost fatherly it sounded. It was not her father's voice, it was not Arthur's.

She did not recognize this voice, and it terrified her that it sounded so comforting.

"Where am I?" she croaked.

The voice did not respond, leaving her alone in ruin.

She went to take a step forward, only to have her entire body scream in anguish. Wide eyes glanced down, seeing the kneeling figure crouched before her. Rain-dampened auburn curtains hung around his pale face as he lifted his head, blood splattered across it. Swirling gray eyes were mad behind his blood covered glasses.

In his hands, a spear that had impaled her through her chest.

"Ar..cher...?"

He jerked the spear out and she crumpled forward, hitting the cobblestones as her life force mingled with the rain. He stood over her, cocking his head to the side as he watched her slowly dying before him.

_He will betray you._

Those words echoed moments before darkness pulled her under once more.

* * *

"Elora!"

She woke up sobbing, strong arms holding her weak and frail frame against him. Ed was frantically trying to decipher her incoherent sobs and screams, the only word he could make out being Archer's name.

"Elora! Elora! Calm down, please." Ed held the frantic girl tightly in his arms, patting her head. "You can't strain yourself."

"E-Edward?" Elora croaked, tears streaming down her face, "Where am I?"

"You're in a hospital..." Ed whispered, "You fainted from blood loss..."

"Ed... I'm sorry..." She bit her lip, "You must have went through a lot to get me here."

Ed gave a wide grin, trying to reassure her. "Nah, wasn't too hard trekking across a desert and findin' this place! I'm an alchemist!" He poked her cheek playfully, before sobering. "Are you alright?"

Elora wiped her eyes and whispered, "I was just murdered by my brother in my dreams..."

"So that's why you were screaming his name..." Ed looked down at his fingers.

"There was a voice... it said that Archer would betray me." Elora drew her legs up to her chest, much to Ed's dismay.

"Elora, it was a dream. A dream brought on by extreme physical stress, nothing more. You know Archer would never hurt you."

His eyes flickered to the scar baring her arm. _And if he did, it would never be on purpose. He loves you._

"I guess you're right, it was a silly dream." Elora mumbled as she held back her tears.

"Lor... there's something I have to tell you." Ed's voice shook with each word.

"Amelia? Archer? Are they safe?"

"It's not them..." Ed gritted his teeth, "Lor, you've got a disease. It's making your organs attack each other. The doctors here don't know what it is, but as of now there isn't a cure."

She sat there, eyes flickering and face expressionless before she looked down at her hands.

"Well, that explains a lot then." Elora muttered, "Guess we'll just have to be a little more careful then, huh?"

Ed just stared at her, "Elora, you were just told you could possibly die because you have a chronic illness... and you're not upset."

"Ed, I'll be okay. I promise."

"Dammit, woman, you can't promise things like that!"

"Ed, getting to Shamballa is more important right now..." Elora shook her head.

"Why won't Archer and you listen? You're important too!"

"Archer needs to get home, you and Alphonse need to get home. I'll be fine! I mean... there has to be some remedy for my illness, right?"

"Lor... there is this doctor here, her name is Farah Shevan. She knows of alchemy, and she told me there might be an alchemic cure." Ed actually chuckled.

"Then why are you so worried? It's not as if there isn't any hope at all."

"But, gathering the stones is going to take a lot of energy out of you, and you need every bit of rest for healing."

"I feel fine..."

"Lor..."

"Edward, I promise. I will take it easy for the rest of the trip, and once we get to Shamballa, we'll find a cure." Elora smiled.

"Shamballa... it's not even the actual name you know... just a false name for a false promised land. Real name is Amestris."

"Amestris…" Elora repeated the name, it sounding like heaven to her.

Ed cracked his knuckles, "Fine, we don't have much choice."

Elora blinked, "Um, how the hell are we gonna get me outta this place? We need to leave like now... we need to get to Thailand."

"What I do best when it comes to busting people out." Ed stood up and then went to the window, examining it before he drew back and sent a vicious kick through it. "C'mon!"

Elora scrambled out of the bed, grabbing her bag and rushing toward the window. Ed slipped her through it, the two of them then taking off through the desert night and as far from the hospital as they could. Ed stole one glance behind them, seeing long dark curls dancing elegantly in the wind as Farah watched.

"Good luck, Edward Elric. You will need it." she whispered.

"Do you _know_ who I am? I demand you let us go!" Amelia shouted.

* * *

Ryan sneered before backhanding her across the face, the redhead being knocked to the ground. She sat up and pressed her palm to her stinging cheek, tears slipping from her eyes. Salinger snarled and rushed forward, anger surging through him as he lunged at Ryan.

"Bad mistake." Ryan sneered, as he dodged Salinger's attack and grabbed the boy by his collar, lifting him up off the ground.

"Irvine!" Amelia screamed.

Ryan flung Salinger into a cold cinder block wall, the blond's head bouncing off of the cement. Ryan brought his knee up in a swift jerking motion, smashing it into Salinger's stomach.

"Let him go! Please!" Amelia cried, clutching her chest.

"You two are the keys to getting to the Promised Land." Ryan released Salinger, him sliding to the floor barely conscious. Amelia scrambled across the floor and to his side, cupping his bloodied face tenderly and crying still. Ryan turned to leave, "Now be good little prisoners and shut up."

"My father will hear of this!" Amelia spat after him.

Ryan stopped and laughed, "Little girl, your father _sold_ you to us. He doesn't care about you. He never has. You're nothing but the little mistake he had with his mistress."

Ryan gave one last snide grin before he turned and shut the iron door behind him, leaving Amelia and Salinger alone in the dark. Amelia grasped harder onto the beaten boy, tears leaving her eyes as she felt the compressing darkness drape over her.

"We'll break free, Amelia..." Salinger gasped. "I swear..."

"Irvine, h-how could F-Father d-do this t-to me?" she sobbed.

He stroked her scarlet curls, "I'm here..."

Amelia sniffled, "I'm... I'm glad you're here with me... at least..."

"I wouldn't leave the girl I've fallen for by herself to those bastards..."

"Irvine..."

"Sleep, love. Just wait. Ed and the others will save us..."

Nodding, Amelia closed her eyes and finally let her exhaustion take over.

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**PK: Review please!  
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**ETP: We'll have the next chapter out ASAP!**


	13. Chapter 13

**ETP: Without further delay, chapter 13!**

**PK: Thanks for R&R last chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own FMA, only our OCs.**

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Chapter XIII

The World Is Quiet Here

Time seemed to be racing against them it seemed since their flight from Iran with the precious stone in hand. By the time the two reached India, Elora's strength had been regained from the two and half weeks it took them to travel. Color returned to her face and she seemed much more animated, spending every second as if it was her last.

They never knew when it might be.

They found themselves in the depths of India, long rolling plains spread out before them, rocky hills placed every so often in neat rows. The days seemed to be getting longer as spring slipped by and summer was on the approach. Exhausted from walking, the duo decided it best to stop and rest and an actual inn, and with that in mind, they made their way to the small town of Ishmar.

Ishmar was small, but beautiful. All the buildings were painted a washed white, and the windows were made of the finest glass. The dirt roads were paved with black cobble, and small wisps of grass were sprouting between the stone. Ivy had rooted its way onto the houses and shops, making a lovely contrast of the purest green and white. Elora and Edward absorbed in the beauty, as it had been the first real town they had set eyes on since their departure from Asadahein.

"Easy there, Elora..." Ed said, turning to grasp her hand and help her down the slope.

Elora was half tempted to tell him to stop treating her like a child, but she bit back the retort she had in mind. She knew how hard it was on Ed knowing she was ill. She wasn't naive, knowing full well that the older Elric was reminded of his beloved late mother every time he saw her frail and helpless.

"Thanks, Ed." she murmured.

The town was drawing close, and Elora could almost feel the touch of a warm bed. She had been without one for quite some time, and it would feel nice to lay on something soft that wasn't grass or a hospital gurney. The gravel crunched beneath their boots, and the wind blew strongly, making a haunting tone.

"To think, a real bed..." she whispered, smiling.

That was, at least, until she thought of her brother and love in Brazil in the middle of the jungle. They had last spoken about four days ago, the duo on the hunt for the aquamarine. It was then that they decided to retrieve the emerald from Egypt on their way to Moscow, leaving the ruby, sapphire, and topaz to the other two.

"We're closer than ever, I can feel it." Ed said with a grin, "Once we're in Shamballa, we can finally rest, maybe settle down for good."

"Edward Elric settle down?" Elora raised an eyebrow. "Amestris," she subconsciously corrected after a second.

Ed rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, shocking to the entire world, I got it." He smiled and closed his eyes halfway, feeling the wind brush against his face. "I'm just happy that Al and I are going to be home again soon, back to the people we had to leave behind... Winry, Sciezka, even the Colonel..."

"You'll be home soon." Elora promised.

"Just you wait, it's gonna be your home too!"

"Home..."

Elora smiles at the word, it foreign.

Finally, the town came upon them, and it had been as beautiful as it had seemed from a distance. Elora handled the inn, splurging and getting a nice suite with two rather large beds. Ed convinced her that it would be alright to take a day off from the seriousness of the search, so they walked down the black streets and window shopped for hours.

Elora was really enjoying herself, and she hadn't felt this good physically in a long time. Evening began to set in, and Ed and Elora found a nice restaurant to sit outside of. They sat in seats made of black metal, intricately designed and forged. Elora had bought them two large ice creams, and they sat together in the cool evening slurping the treats in peace.

"This is kinda nice," Elora giggled, smiling up at him. "First time a boy's ever treated me out before."

"First time I've ever seen you in a dress," Ed teased.

Her cheeks turned rosy as she huffed and looked away, wearing a pretty dark blue sleeveless dress with a v-neck and a simple white lace bow around her waist.

"Don't worry, you look great. Pretty, even."

"As if _that's_ supposed to be a compliment."

Ed rolled his eyes at that, "Look, we both know if Al was here he'd be turning red, tripping over the table, and stuttering over how beautiful he thinks you look."

Elora giggled, not being able to help herself. She really did miss the young alchemist.

"So, how about we finish these ice creams, and head back to the inn. I plan on getting as much sleep as possible." Ed said.

"Typical Ed." Elora rolled her eyes, "Alright, we'll take an early night. We've got to head out in the morning, Thailand then Japan."

And then Elora's eyes caught a glimpse of something, a familiar color of hair and skin. She pulled completely from the conversation, ignoring Ed's next words. She was staring at a dark haired woman, who was talking to a heavy set man selling bread. The woman began yelling, her voice shrill over the murmur of the crowd.

There wasn't any way in the world she couldn't recognize that voice...

"TWENTY RUPEES FOR A LOAF OF BREAD? DO I LOOK LIKE A FOOL?" The woman cried, clenching her fist around the collar of the bakers shirt.

Elora sprung from the café terrace, skirt whipping around her knees as she darted her way toward them. Tears welded up in the corners of her eyes, her heart racing in her chest. For far too long the only familiar face had been Edward.

"Te- Teacher!"

Izumi whirled around, "Elora..."

"This crazy woman your teacher? Tell her twenty rupees or no deal!" The baker barked, before stalking back into his stall to escape the crazed female.

Ed threw the money at the man without a second glance.

"Teacher! What are you doing here?" Elora asked, burying her face on Izumi's shoulder.

Izumi stroked her hair for a few seconds, eyes softening in relief to see her pupil was unscathed for the most part. She withdrew a moment later and locked her eyes on the both of them.

"I've been... traveling. Hiding." Izumi mumbled.

"Don't lie, Teacher. This isn't coincidence that we're both here." Elora implied, courageously.

"Alright, fine! I've been following you since I noticed you in Pakistan."

"Teacher!"

"Where's Salinger and the others?" Izumi demanded shortly.

"Oh... they're..." Elora broke off.

"We lost them." Ed informed.

Her dark eyes flashed violently. She brought her fist down hard on top of Elora's head, sending the girl into the sand. Ed lunged between them before anymore blows could land on Elora's already frail frame.

"Do _not_ lay a hand on her again."

Izumi cracked her knuckles, "Stay out of this, Elric."

"No!" Ed snarled, refusing to back down.

"Elric, this is a matter between me and my pupil. I would never harm any of my students beyond what I thought they could handle." Izumi growled.

"You don't know the full truth!" Ed hissed, "She's sick!"

Elora kicked him in the back of his human knee, "Shut up, Edward!"

"Sick? What is he talking about Elora? You're sick, Salinger and the others are missing. What has happened? I knew I should have came with you."

"I didn't want you to..." Elora mumbled, pouting like a child. "You're not my mother!"

"I'm as good as!"

"I don't want you to be!" Elora shouted, tears streaming down her face. "My mom is dead! She's the only mother I ever wanted and needed in my life!"

"Elora..." Izumi whispered, hurt, "I...never meant...it's just. Listen, I can't help how I feel. You were entrusted to me, and I got too close. But the damage is done, and I'm here whether or not you want me to be."

"I'm all grown up now." Elora said, standing up slowly and brushing off her dress. She straightened, transforming from a child to a young woman before Izumi's eyes. "I know what I'm doing with my life. I love you, Tea... Izumi, but you need to let me go. Besides... You were always far closer to Irvine."

"Elora, I know you're a grown woman now. But, you'll have to forgive me, mothers will always be mothers."

"I understand, Izumi. I'm sorry..." Elora swallowed her pride at the face of the older woman before her, "And... I do see you as a mother figure, and I appreciate what you've done for me, I just need to be treated as an adult."

"I understand," she clenched her fists at her side and looked serious. "Where are the others?"

"Archer and Alphonse are in Brazil, hunting down the aquamarine and the amethyst. As for Salinger and Amelia... we don't know."

"I was threatened by Evelyn. She told me to finish the neo-philosopher's stone and the most precious thing to me won't be lost. I have the feeling they have Amelia..."

"And wherever Amelia is, so is Salinger..."

Izumi turned stark white and snarled so many foul curses at once they were incoherent.

"I'm sorry. I tried to keep us together, everything just fell apart." Elora held back her tears.

"It isn't your fault, it's that damn Evelyn's." Izumi growled again.

"Wait... you know her?" Ed looked shocked.

"Of course I know her, that bitch being who she is." Izumi breathed, "I think it's time I told you everything, Elora."

"Let's go to the inn," Ed said, noticing they were getting some wary stares from the locals.

"Alright. We'll go there, and I'll tell you everything I know, everything Arthur told me."

The three headed to the inn and into the room. Izumi sat crosslegged on the left-hand bed, arms crossed over her chest. Ed and Elora sat down on the bed across from her, Elora tucking her legs underneath her. Dark eyes fluttered closed before she took a deep breath.

Alicia: "As you know, Irvine has been living under my care at St. Jurgens' from the age of seven. He has no recollection of his parents at all."

"Of course." Elora answered.

"Irvine is my son."

"...What?"

Elora was stunned.

"Not only is he my son, but he is Arthur's, your alchemic mentor, son also."

Izumi sighed deeply and lowered her gaze.

"I was young and in love. He showed me my dreams in the form of alchemy, something I'm quite skilled in, mind you. However, the moment the war broke out, we knew it was too dangerous. So, Arthur left me and took our child, going into hiding. I resented him for it. I resented alchemy for being the reason of losing my son and my lover. He returned to me seven years later, having spun a false tale to Irvine that his parents had been killed by Nazis. I was terrified of losing my son again, so I kept up the lie, pretending to be nothing more than his teacher."

Elora lowered her head. "Izumi..."

"I have repented for my sins of living a lie for the sake of my son's life." Izumi looked back up, "That was also the time Archer came into his hands, that is why he brought me Irvine. Arthur came to this world in a strange way, the same way Archer came to this world. He shared with me his power. We did not think it would be wise to have so many alchemists in one place. You see, there were a small group of people who had discovered the secret of Alchemy. There were a few real alchemist scattered among the world. Someone had found out the secret, and had connected alchemy with the myth of Shamballa."

"Evelyn and Ryan…" Ed murmured.

"They were a part of it." Izumi shook her head, "There were seven of them originally. Arthur and myself had taken out the rest. They were wicked people. The would capture alchemists and sacrifice them, taking their powers fully in a sacrificial transfer."

Pale, Elora looked ready to retch at the thought.

"We... we have to get Irvine and Amelia away from those people!"

Izumi nodded in agreement, standing up. "Which is why I'm going after them. I haven't used alchemy in a long time but..." She closed her eyes and energy began to fill the room. Her locks floated eerily around her face and the air crackled before she clapped her hands together. A strange swirling portal appeared. "I'm going to find my son."

"Izumi..." Elora thought of asking her to stay, to come with Edward and herself on the search, but she knew at once how selfish a request like that was, "Be safe, please."

Izumi hesitated, before she turned and embraced the younger girl. She pulled back and rifled around her pocket, withdrawing an ebony pocket watch very similar to the one Ed used to carry. She took Elora's hand, enclosing it in her palm and pressing it over her heart.

"I want you to have this."

"But Teacher -"

"Do not question your teacher!"

Elora whimpered and looked down at it, "But... it's too precious for me to keep..."

"It is mine to give to whom I will. You are the daughter I always dreamt of having. No matter what happens, I will be with you in soul and heart, child."

Elora took the ebony watch, and a large stream of tears fell down her face.

"I...I love you, Izumi."

"I love you too, child." Izumi took a deep breath, "Elric!"

He jolted, "Y-Yes ma'am?"

"Take care of them..."

"Of course,"

Izumi gave one last sweeping look, and dawned a wide smile, before stepping into the portal, and leaving Elora alone inside the dark hotel room. The moment the portal closed, Elora felt as if another parent had been wrenched away from her forever. She broke down into sobs, clutching the watch to her chest and doubling over on the bed, sobbing heavily into Ed's thigh. He wordlessly stroked her hair and back, unable to voice any words, knowing that no comfort could come from them at this time.

_She'll come back... She just has too._

* * *

Archer woke violently, twitching in his sleep. A figure of an older woman had loomed in and out of his dreams, calling to him, until it collapsed in a pool of blood. Beads of sweat dripped off of him, landing on the damp cloth floor of his tent.

Alphonse lay beside of him, talking groggily in his sleep. Archer combed through his hair with his fingers and slipped on his glasses before he stepped out of the small tent. They had stolen a tent from a nearby village and slept in a large grassy field a couple of miles away. Today was the day, the aquamarine mines were close by, and his research would prove extremely helpful, as always.

He inhaled the air as dawn's first rays started to shine over the mountains and into the valley. He smiled solemnly, wondering if Ed and Elora were seeing the same sunrise as him on their way to Thailand. He paused and counted the days in his head, realizing they had been apart for almost two months. He recalled the date as well.

"Archer! ARCHER!" Al's voice called frantically from inside the tent.

"I'm outside, calm down." Archer chuckled.

Rustling was heard inside the cloth home, and soon Alphonse emerged, completely dressed, their two small bags in his hands.

"I'm going to take down the tent, then we can make our way to the underground mines up ahead." Alphonse informed him.

"I'll find us some breakfast." Archer smirked, "Ah, there, you see? Right at our doorstep." He gestured to the fruit trees a small distance away.

"You picked a nice place." Al laughed, "I can't wait to get this stone, the amethyst is much closer to the aquamarine. It should only take two days to get there! Then we get to head back!"

"Next stop, Egypt. Land of the Pharaohs," Archer's eyes sparkled as he thought of the place, "I cannot wait!"

"And then Moscow, where we'll finally be reunited with Brother and Lor..."

"So very close." Archer beamed.

"I wish we didn't have to cross the ocean for a month, it takes up so much time." Al sighed, his spirits drooping. He perked up, "I know! Let's steal a plane!"

"Alphonse... listen, I didn't want to say anything before, you wanted to get back to the others so bad, and I though you might insist on going back right when I told you, but now... well, you're different now. You've gotten used to being apart from the others..." Archer mumbled, hoping the younger boy wouldn't get angry.

Brown eyes blinked curiously, "What is it, Archer?"

"I've been thinking about it a lot, and I think, with much effort, that I might be able to transport us by fire."

Al's eyes were as wide as they could get, before he abruptly tackled the other boy to the ground in a rather affectionate hug. Archer turned pink unpleasantly, the sudden lunge of affection catching him off-guard. He expected to be punched in the face, not tackled in excitement!

"Do you really think we could?"

"Yes, but there is just one thing. It's going to take up a lot of my energy. I can recall Arthur talking of transporting by using elements long ago. Equivalent exchange must be given, so I'm sure it will take my energy, just like communicating with Elora does. I'll only be able to do it once, and you might have to take care of me for a couple if days, but it is much easier than riding a boat for a month."

"Archer, I'd carry you around on my back for two weeks if that meant we could get to Elora and Brother sooner!"

"Good then! We must be off, time is of the essence!" Archer chuckled.

Al scrambled off him and, with a newfound vigor, moved quickly to disassemble the tent.

They quickly packed and ate a breakfast of fruits and berries. Once their stomach were as full as they could be on such food, they set out west, trailing a grassy path through thick woods. It was midday before they reached the other end, and the woods had not been kind. Al had fell into a brier patch, and had been picking thorns out of his arms and back for hours.

On the other side of the forest, a tall hill rested. Inside the hill three large holes burrowed deep into the soft earth.

"This is it! This is the start of the excavation holes." Archer announced brightly.

"...Holes?" Al looked fearful.

"Yes, Alphonse, we have to climb down inside of them." Archer answered.

Al eyed them while chewing on his lip uncertainly, "I... I'm not so sure about that. What if it caves in on us?

"Would you rather stay up here, _alone_?"

"Uh...fine." Al hung his head, "If this gets us killed, Ed is going to kill you."

"Kind of hard for him to accomplish if we're already dead."

"Knowing Ed, he'd find a way."

Archer rolled his eyes playfully before approaching the hill. He knelt down into the grass, and observed the structure.

"Rope?"

Al transmuted some of the grass, creating a thick and sturdy long rope.

"Perfect! It seems they're steeper than I thought. One of us will need to go down and the other must pull the first up with the rope."

"I like sunlight," Al simply stated, giving Archer a look.

Archer sweatdropped. He had a feeling he would be venturing under the earth by his lonesome.

"You're getting the next one then Alphonse! No matter the obstacle." Archer flashed a smile.

"I'm perfectly fine with that."

"Okay, hand me the rope."

Archer took the rope and tied it securely around his waist, before lowering his feet inside the hole.

"See you soon." Archer said, a little uncomfortably, before he hopped down inside, and fell into the dark abyss.

The sensation of falling enveloped around him briefly, before his feet hit the wall. He bounced off it until his feet were safely on the ground.

"You alright down there?" Al's voice echoed.

"I'm fine." Archer answered back up.

Darkness pushed in at him on all sides, and Archer swiftly snapped his fingers, making a bright flame erupt on his fingertips. The warm glow of the fire reflected off the burrows walls, and light gleamed and shined from dirt filled surfaces.

"I'm really sick of mines," Archer couldn't help but grimace before he began to make his way down the musty tunnel.

The farther he went, the smaller the tunnel became, and his hope went with it. He soon had to crawl on his knees, awkwardly trying to keep his flame lit. Claustrophobia began to set in over him, a sense of dread a fear drew over his every breath, but he pushed on. He began to doubt that an aquamarine could be here in the depths of these dirt tunnels.

Perhaps they had all been mined dry?

"Ow!"

He hissed as his knee hit something sharp and jagged. Backing up some, Archer leaned down to better inspect it. It seemed to be a rock of some sort. Frowning, he glared at it, watching as the flames of his fire danced in its dirty reflection.

"Hold on a moment..."

Archer took his hand and brushed at the top of the rock.

The rock held a bluish tint and Archer exclaimed in excitement, "Yes!"

He pried the rock from it's muddy hold, and backed slowly back out of the tunnel. Suddenly, a low rumbling sound met his ears, and Archer stomach found its way into his feet. Fear surged through him like lightning.

Dirt and ruble were falling around him, rocks crumbling and blocking the path forward. Archer quickened his retreat, hoping that he could make it back to the entrance in time. He could feel the tunnel getting larger, and soon he was crouching instead of crawling, and he turned around, to see the wide open space were light poured in from the hole.

He ran with all his might, running from what was certain doom. He could feel the tunnel collapsing behind him. His foot caught a rock, and he fell on his face, dirt and rubble covering him, pressing him farther into the earth.

He struggled to move, but the dirt was too heavy. He screamed for Alphonse, he could feel the tug of the rope at his waist, but it wasn't doing any good. His head was covered by the rock, and he could feel his last breath leave him.

"ARCHER!"

The scream was faint, almost a whisper as the darkness pulled him under completely.

* * *

Alphonse caught his breath, and tears started to fall from his eyes. He had let Archer go it alone, let him walk to death without anyone beside him.

_All my fault… this is all my fault Archer's gone!_

And then, a great fire erupted, flame shot out of the tunnel's hole, and Alphonse just barely jumped out of the way. A great living flame busted through the hill, breaking apart the dirt that ensnared the red haired boy. Archer's hand lunged out of the dirt, and what was once three holes was one gigantic hole, broken away in explosion.

Archer's head emerged, and he pulled himself up above the deathly earth.

"I...I thought I had lost you!"

Archer coughed and panted, "That's okay... I thought I lost me too!"

The two boys shared a laugh, a laugh that broke the fear and dread, and brought them closer together than ever.

"I say we go play in the river and just relax." Al said, smiling.

"I agree, pull me up out of here, if you will. I feel like celebrating my birthday in peace!"

Archer pocketed the bluish stone, and started to climb out of the giant hole, with Alphonse's help. The two boys set off for the river, barely escaping death once again.

"Two stones down." Archer sighed.

"Well, while I was waiting for you... I made you a present."

"Al, you didn't have to..." Archer said, but with a tone of appreciation.

"I wanted to!" Alphonse exclaimed, pulling something from his pocket.

Archer blinked, taking the intricate figurine carefully.

"Um, I'm really good at making cats so... I made you a lion."

"You surely do love felines..."

Al gave a sheepish smile, "Guilty,"

"It's wonderful. Thank you Alphonse." Archer smiled, embracing the younger boy.

Al blinked before returning the hug, "I'm glad you liked it. I mean, I know it's not much... but I wanted to give my friend something special on his birthday. Today's a really special day... it's the day you were born! Without you, Ed and I would still be lost in this world and miserable..."

"And Elora and I would still be chasing wild dreams." Archer patted Al on the back.

Al smiled as they reached the river, "Let's just be boys for once. Let's forget for a little while that we're alchemists and far from our loved ones."

"I couldn't have asked for a more perfect present." Archer laughed, and ran into the water, losing all sense of care for once in his life.

They savored the fun, for it would be the last they'd truly have for a while.

* * *

By the time morning came, Ed was still with worry. Izumi hadn't appeared nor had Amelia or Salinger shown up. He was terrified for the woman, but he was even more concerned about Elora. She slept in a ball, buried under her covers, and he knew she had cried deep into the night before passing out from sheer exhaustion.

He quietly slipped out of his bed and pulled on a new, crisp and clean shirt before he slowly walked around the bed and to Elora's. He eased himself onto the edge of it, metal fingers grasping around the tops of the covers and gently tugging them down. One amethyst orb looked up at him from the corner of red-rimmed eyes and through strewn chestnut strands.

"Elora, it's time to go..." Ed whispered.

"Fine." Elora croaked, as she began to sit up.

Ed hated seeing Elora this way. She had finally been getting better, and her attitude had improved with her health. But now she was worse than she was before, and he felt completely useless. He wished now that they had never met Izumi, for it had only made matters worse.

As if sensing his thoughts, the adolescent girl sat up and then abruptly smacked herself. Ed jumped as she hissed in pain and then blinked rapidly, looking at him through a veil of pain-induced tears.

"Wallowing in our misery will not get us anywhere."

"El..."

She gave a genuine smile, "I will be alright, Ed." Ed went to open his mouth. "No, Edward, I need to be strong. We have a lot to do, and sitting here moping isn't going to get us any closer to Amestris."

"Alright, as long as you really feel that way."

"I do... I just want to get on the road and not dwell with worry. We should reach Thailand soon, get the sapphire and ruby, then we can head on to Japan and get the final stone."

"The final stone," Ed chuckled, "Seems like yesterday you were breaking in our hotel room demanding about how we knew of alchemy."

She stepped behind the screen in the corner of the room, stripping off her clothing.

"Have I... grown up in these past months, Ed?"

His face burned unpleasantly as he looked away from her silhouette behind the screen.

"Of course, you're almost sixteen now, aren't you? You've grown physically and mentally. You're so much more than the hothead you used to be."

She stepped back out, now clad in a white blouse and black traveling pants with her boots.

"My birthday is in three weeks."

"You and Archer are only three weeks apart?" Ed asked, startled.

"Three weeks and a year, Edward." Elora rolled her eyes.

"Oh... right... wait!" Ed frowned, "Today's his birthday, isn't it?"

She nodded, "I wanted to stop and get him a gift before we left..."

"We can do that, no problem." Ed smiled.

"I feel way older than fifteen."

"Imagine how poor Al feels. He's technically supposed to be nineteen by now."

"He'd still look baby-faced." Elora giggled.

"You like that about him,"

"I like a lot of things about him," Elora went on, "I regret not getting closer to him when I had the chance."

Ed fidgeted slightly as she brushed her hair in the mirror.

"Elora?"

"Hmm?"

Amethyst eyes watched the older man through the glass.

"Did you really mean what you said... about being in love with Al? Are you sure what you're feeling is really... love?"

Her eyes lowered to the basin of water, "Ed, I may be young... but I'm not naive. I've been in love before, only... the things I feel for Alphonse are a thousand times more sensational. My love for your brother is true and real, not some teenage infatuation."

"I didn't mean that it was. I just don't want to see either of you hurt." Ed lowered his eyes.

"We know what we're getting into." Elora answered simply, before finishing her morning routine. "And that is why I've avoided that emotional confrontation for as long as I have..."

"You really have grown up, Elora."

"Living a life like mine steals away the innocence that a child's eyes can view the world with."

"Life will be better soon. I promise."

"I know, which is why I'm willing to make the soul sacrifice for you two."

"I have never felt more gratitude in my life." Edward assured her.

The brunette smiled, "Good," she touched his arm, leaning up to press a chaste kiss to his cheek. "Come on, we should get going."

"Uh y-yes." Ed stuttered, picking up his belongings and slinging them over his shoulder.

The duo left their room, and made their way to the shops in the middle of town. Elora was set on getting Archer the best present she could afford.

"Oh, Ed! That!"

Ed blinked, watching as Elora darted into a bookstore.

_Of course, Archer and his books. _

She came out, beaming at the smooth black leather journal she had purchased. She motioned for Ed to follow her into an alleyway. There, she drew a transmutation circle into the sand and then clapped her hands together. The book crackled with energy, the cover now having the same insignia Ed used to bare on his back only in red and it had a strange lock on it.

"It will only open to Archer's touch."

"Can't wait to see what you cook up for my birthday."

Elora looked at the book sadly, "I wish I could give it to him today..."

"Don't worry, El, we'll be in Moscow soon."

"Yeah..." She sighed, placing the journal in her handbag.

"Time to leave." Ed reminded her.

"It's going to be a while before we're in another city like this." Elora smiled sadly.

"Wait to you see Central! It's huge." Ed grinned.

"What's it like?"

"Well, I'm not so sure anymore. When I was there it was pretty amazing, but soon the entire Scar thing and the homunculus disaster broke out. Who knows what it's like now."

"Homunculus... the creatures created after someone tried to perform human transmutation and they were fed pieces of the philosopher's stone by... um... Dante was it?"

"Yep, you remembered," Ed said, "They're awful creatures. In a way, I pity them."

"I feel sorry for the child you told me about. Wrath, was it?"

"Izumi's child..." Ed grimaced, "Wrath, I thought I could save him, but homunculus aren't supposed to be saved. Envy and Lust, they turned him."

"Wasn't Envy... your brother?" Elora asked.

Ed stiffened and snarled, "That bastard is no brother of mine!"

"Half-brother is still brother Edward." Elora said sharply.

Ed looked away painfully, "I'm sorry. My father and... everything he did with Dante... it's still a touchy subject."

"I'm sorry as well." Elora instantly regretted bringing up the subject.

Ed sighed and went to say something, but he felt something slam into his leg. A moment later he saw the dark waves of a small Gypsy child bounce down her back as she took off down the street.

"Hey... THAT LITTLE BRAT STOLE MY WALLET!"

Elora blinked and watched as Ed took off after her, "E-Ed, wait! Stay together! EDWARD!"

Edward didn't listen. He took after the young Gypsy, determined to get back his wallet.

"Dammit." Elora seethed, as she ran after him.

"Give it back!" Ed bellowed, catching up to the young girl.

She screamed and whirled, turning down an alley. She knocked over barrels of trash, hoping to stop him. Ed was feet behind her, Elora catching up to him.

Then, Ed slammed down into the ground, pinning the girl underneath him, "Give it back brat!"

"Here! Take it!" She threw the wallet towards Elora, who was now standing behind the two, catching her breath.

Elora quickly scooped it up and placed it in her handbag with Archer's journal and all of her things.

"Where are your parents?" Elora asked, kneeling beside them.

"Gone." the girl answered, eyes filling up with tears.

"They're dead?" Ed whispered.

"No, lost." she sniffled, "I lost them."

"Yeah, stealing my wallet!" Ed's anger returned.

Elora smacked him upside the head, "Let her go."

Ed reluctantly released the young girl, and stood up beside Elora.

"What's your name?" Elora asked softly.

"Tsura," she sniffed again.

"That's a really pretty name, Tsura. Where did you last see your parents?"

"I don't... 'member..." Tsura was crying now.

Elora felt her heart throb painfully. The girl was only around the age of seven, eight at the oldest.

"Shh, it'll be okay." she scooped her in her arms, soothing her. "Ed, c'mon, let's take her and get her something to eat. She must be starving."

"You've got to be joking." Ed face-palmed.

Angry eyes snapped with amethyst fire.

"She's lost and scared!"

"Alright, alright. Come on kid, we'll get you something to eat." Ed shook his head.

Tsura locked her thin arms around Elora's neck, watching Ed warily from the corner of her eyes as she pressed her forehead against the older girl's collar.

_What do I get myself into?_

Ed soon found himself glaring daggers at his companion as she helped wipe the young Gypsy girl's face of food as she scarfed down what seemed like her first real meal in a long time. Elora laughed and smiled, looking completely at ease with the child.

"I haven't seen Mother or Papa for three weeks." Tsura said sadly, after gulping down a big slice of bread.

"Well, what do your Mother and Papa look like?" Elora asked, peering into eerie red eyes.

"Papa's got white hair and scar on his face that looks like an 'x'. He got it in a fight with soldier. Mother has long hair like mine and she's the most beautiful Roma of them all!"

Ed's face went pale. "White hair and a scar?"

_Scar and Lust's counterparts from this world..._

"Those are very good descriptions. Shouldn't be too hard to find them." Elora said.

Ed glared at her, "She's not coming with us."

"Ed, she's a child and a Roma child at that. If we leave her to fend for herself, she could be killed or even worse, raped..."

"I...ugh, fine. Fine. She can come, but we're going to Thailand first, we don't have time to travel all over India looking for her parents. When we get back from Japan, we'll find her parents."

"Tsura, I'm Elora and this is Edward."

"Hello." She beamed.

_Great, more things to stall us. _

"You're used to traveling, right?"

"Mmhm, I know how to find shortcuts. You guys need to go to Thailand, right?"

"That's right... do you know a shortcut?"

Ed twitched, "Lor, we're not taking directions from a six-year-old!"

"I'm eight!"

"Whatever!"

"God, Ed, what do you have against her?" Elora rolled her eyes, "Where is this shortcut honey?"

"Hmm I'd hafta show ya,"

"Lead the way."

Ed moaned under his breath. "Lor, I swear you are very...very lucky my brother is in love with you."

She rolled her eyes, Tsura tugging on her hand. "This way, this way!"

They followed the child into the unknown, a new life kindled in their journey.

* * *

Izumi shivered slightly as she found herself in the dark, dank basement of a manor. Snow was piled up against the windows that lined the corridor she walked through.

She had been here before.

Evelyn and Ryan had taken her ill mother as ransom, demanding Izumi in return. She wouldn't allow Arthur to follow her. In the end her mother was murdered before her eyes, Evelyn going back on her word. She would have died if Arthur didn't disobey her pleas. He came and saved her, her guardian.

As result, Evelyn never got the alchemist sacrifice she hungered for, and never got dive into the ancient practice herself.

Ryan, on the other hand, had.

And now the duo wanted to go to "Shamballa" unaware of how wrong they were. Amestris was no promised land. It was just as flawed as Earth.

"Izumi Curtis? I've been waiting for you." A high pitched girlish voice rung throughout the basement of the manor.

Izumi cursed and broke into a run, kicking in doors every chance she got. She had to find the children and get to safety. She would get her revenge on Evelyn another time.

"Run, Izumi, run fast. It will do you no good. The children are dead." Evelyn's voice hissed.

"LIAR!" Izumi screamed.

She moved quickly, giving a frustrated snarl as her foot connected with a door. This time it didn't break down as easily, merely breaking in somewhat.

"Teacher!"

The sound of her son's voice rang through her mind.

"SALINGER!" Izumi cried.

"Not so fast." The voice was right behind her now, and the blood drained from Izumi's face.

Izumi turned on her heal, and came face to face with Evelyn. Her blond curls held tight around her face, and a gleam of red twinkled in her eyes. Ryan stood stout behind her, energy rising around him, electric waves crackling in the air.

"This ends here, Evelyn." Izumi snarled, darting forward and grabbing for the blond.

Evelyn quickly dodged, and fell back behind Ryan.

"I think, I'll let Ryan stretch his legs with this one."

Izumi cracked her knuckles and neck, "Fine with me! You two are going to fall just like Eckart and all the others!"

"Shamballa will be ours. And once your stupid little student opens the gate, I will take her life and steal her alchemy." Evelyn sneered.

Rage took over Izumi, and she lunged at Ryan, their fists collided, and energy erupted from both ends, sending the fighters backwards. Ryan slapped his hands against the stone and produced a long slender sword, a electric current surrounded it.

"Typical and predictable," Izumi sneered.

She clapped her hand on the floor, and two large metal hands erupted from the ground, catching Ryan in their grasp. Izumi brought forth two spears from the stone, and sent them flying directly at Ryan's face.

The brute man burst through the stone, and dodged the weapons just in time. He hit Izumi with the blunt end of his sword, slicing her arm and sending her flying back into the door, breaking it open. She skidded to a halt at Salinger's feet.

"Teacher!"

Izumi was determined, she slapped her hand against the stone once more, and the very foundation on which Ryan stood crumbled beneath him, he made to jump, but missed the landing by inches, and he slipped into the darkness.

Izumi wrapped her arms around Salinger and Amelia, and opened a portal, sacrificing what little strength she had left.

"Irvine... I..."

And then, everything went silent. Izumi's grip loosened on the pair, and she felt backwards, gracefully, as if sleeping.

"No..No...TEACHER!"

A long sword stuck through her chest, Evelyn had thwarted her from the shadows. Blood spilled against the black stone, and seeped into the rooms below.

Salinger fell to his knees, and held the dying woman in his arms, "We can fix this, we can. Teacher, no, NO!"

She reached up and cupped his face, and grasped onto his shoulder, pulling herself up.

"Go through the portal Irvine, take Amelia with you."

"No, I won't leave you! I won't!" Irvine cried great tears, soaking the Izumi's dress.

"Go dammit!" She hissed, and pushed him back into Amelia, who tripped and pulled him through the portal.

Agony was the last expression Izumi ever saw of him.

_My son and daughter are safe... that's all that matters now._

She turned, anger etching her face. She used what little strength she had and pulled a long dagger from a stone pillar. The defeated woman jumped at Evelyn, catching her in the shoulder. Evelyn merely grinned, and pulled her own sword out of Izumi's chest.

Izumi felt her own being floating away from her body, and she could feel Death's breath on her face. She glared, once last time into the face of Evelyn, before she slipped pass the veil, and into the dark…

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ETP: TT_TT P-Please r-review! -blows nose into hanky-

**PK: -sniff-**


	14. Chapter 14

ETP: Onward to greatness!

**Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist belongs to Hiromu Arakawa. **

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Chapter XIV

One is All, All is One

The snow turned crimson as their limp forms landed in it. Salinger gasped, clutching his heart and watching as blood from an unknown origin stained the white blanket beneath him. The sunlight blinded him as he looked up and around, faintly recognizing his surroundings.

"Amelia?"

"I'm alright," Amelia whispered, the tear stains on her wind stung cheeks freezing from the cold. She crawled through the snow towards the blond adolescent, kneeling beside him and wrapping her arms around him. "What about you?"

Salinger swallowed the lump sheering his throat, looking at the blood.

"She's… gone. Teacher's gone."

"She could've made it out alive! Didn't you always tell me stories of how brilliant she was?"

He shook his head, crying heavily. "I know she's dead! I felt a part of me die! She's gone, Amelia, and she's never coming back!" Salinger collapsed forward, his fists connecting with the ground and he buried his face into them. "She was the only family I knew! She raised me as if I was her own! And now she's gone, and it's that bitch Evelyn's fault!"

Amelia brushed her hands through his fair tresses tenderly. Her own eyes were cold, lacking the usual innocence and naiveté that they once held. Being sold out by her own father and imprisoned for two months had done its toll on the young woman. The only light she saw out of it was that she now could make her choice without regrets, along with the fact she found love.

"Irvine, we need to find shelter. For all we know Izumi only got us as far as the backyard."

Salinger furiously wiped his eyes and sat back on his thighs, realizing the redhead was desperately trying to suppress her body's violent shudders from the cold. He shrugged off his shirt, wrapping it around her shoulders and the two weakly got to their feet. It took a few minutes for them to walk stably. They managed to make it to the edge of trees a few feet away, Salinger grasping onto one to support them both, before they took several deep breaths of the fresh air.

"We have to get ahold of Lor and the others." Amelia panted, brushing an unruly curl behind her ear.

"In the end, we all reunite in Moscow." Salinger said, closing his eyes as he recalled the last whisper Izumi gave to him. "I think we're in Russia."

"Alright, then we just need to lay low and wait for the others to come."

"People may be looking for you. You're kinda unforgettable, Amelia." Salinger smiled at her.

She blushed prettily, "Perhaps its time for a little change. Give me your knife."

Salinger blinked, "What?"

Rolling her honey-colored orbs, Amelia snatched the knife from his pocket and started to walk away through the grove of trees. Salinger could simply stand and stare, watching as she took a deep breath and grasped her hair in her fist, holding it out in a ponytail and moving the knife underneath. Her eyes closed, Amelia slid the blade through the scarlet locks easily, releasing the locks into the wind.

Russet brown orbs watched the red strands as they flowed through the cold wind and disappeared into the sky. Amelia turned around, uneven shoulder-length locks framing her face. She gave a cheeky smile before approaching him.

"What do you think?"

His trembling fingers reached up, brushing through them tenderly.

"You're still beautiful, like an angel." Salinger smiled.

Her cheeks dusted with a rosy blush, brushing her fingertips across her lips shyly. Salinger smiled before wrapping an arm around her slender waist, tugging her closer and lowering a kiss to her lips. Amelia kissed him back, for the first time in weeks feeling free and like she could fly away to whether the wind would take them.

The sound of slamming doors and dogs barking sent them flying apart. Salinger snatched her arm, pocketing his knife, and they broke into a run deep into the forest. They slipped and gasped as the cold, shearing air burned their lungs.

"Amelia, this way!"

They ducked into a small cave, hiding in the shadows and waited until the sounds of dogs and voices were gone. Taking a breath of relief, Amelia crept forward, the two of them weaving their way through the thicket of trees.

"Look, I can see a city! We're really close!" She exclaimed, looking excitedly over her shoulder.

Salinger's orb widened, "A-Amelia!"

"What?" said girl turned and staggered a moment later, looking up.

"Well, well, well… who do we have here, hmm?"

Neither spoke as the fur-clad Russian girl standing before them clapped her hands together, eyes sparkling.

"New friends! Friends Arthur spoke of! You've finally come!"

* * *

Lush green grass bordered the narrow dirt walk way, lovely flowers had sprouted their way up from the earth, their strong colors of pink, purple, and red contrasting with the green hue. Tsura had her hands knotted around Ed's and Elora's, afraid of the dark forest that lay ahead.

"If you don't wanna go through there, show us another way." Ed grumbled, eyeing the forest himself.

"It's the quickest way, meanie!" Tsura stuck out her tongue.

Elora glared a little at the elder blond, "It'll be alright. No monsters are in there."

The dark forest grew closer. The trees hung ominously over the path, the bark was stained a soft black. The leaves had started to grow back from the winter. Large boulders and bushes sat alongside the trees, making trekking off the path not optional. There was one way through, and it wasn't settling.

"Look, we're going to be fine." Elora knelt down and picked Tsura up, the young girl being propped up on the brunette's hip. "Only monsters around is Edward."

"Hey!"

Tsura giggled, smiling. Elora sent a small glance at Ed before she pressed a kiss to the side of the child's head, moving forward. Ed watched, a little taken aback by how maternal Elora was towards the young Roma.

In all honesty, mothers had always fascinated him. He had been so happy when Elicia Hughes had been brought safely into the world by Gracia on his twelfth birthday. To see Elora acting like a mother was a little strange, albeit he found a new respect for the girl.

"I'm sorry Ed. Just play along, she is only a child after all." Elora whispered into his ear.

"I'll play along alright..." He mumbled before growling, "Rawr, I'm gonna eat you!"

Elora sat the young girl on her shoulders and ran inside the forest, both girls laughing along the way. Edward continued to chase them, making the journey through the dark much more bearable. Soon, they reached the other side, emerging onto the side of a dirt road with trees lining it.

"This is much better." Ed sighed, looking back into the forest sheepishly.

"How much father until we're in Thailand, Tsura?" Elora asked.

"We're already there."

"Wait, what?" Ed stared at the child in bewilderment.

"We're there. Where ya need to go now?"

Elora frowned and looked up at her, "Tsura, we're looking for stones." She nodded at Ed, who pulled out one for an example. "Have you seen a blue or red stone that looks just like that?"

"I've seen a red stone." She grinned.

"Really? Where?" Ed gasped.

She chewed on her lip and pointed upward, "That way. On that hill."

"Really? This close?" Ed eyed her with suspicion.

"That hill's pretty far, Ed."

"Alright, lead the way Tsura." Ed sighed.

Tsura slid off Elora's shoulders and skipped forward. Elora walked beside Ed, arms crossed over her chest as she watched the dark-haired child with a fond expression.

"Don't get too attached... you know we have to find her parents."

"I know Ed, but I can't help it." Elora brushed her bangs away from her face, "She reminds me of myself; fiery, energetic. I just hope her family is alive."

"They will be. It seems they're smart, if they raised Tsura." Ed assured her.

She nodded and watched, "I know I'm young but... I've always dreamt of being a mother. To have my own precious child that I could raise and love. They'd be mine and no one else's."

"You'll have that one day Lor. We'll get out of this, we'll cure you. We'll take Salinger and Amelia to Amestris with you. You won't have to leave anything behind." Ed gripped her shoulder.

"I couldn't just ask them to uproot their lives, Edward. Besides, Salinger has Izumi, doesn't he?"

Ed flinched a little.

"Elora... something keeps eating at me and telling me that Izumi's not coming back."

"Why would you say something like that? Izumi is strong. She knows what she's doing."

Elora played with the ebony pocket watch, opening it and closing it a few times, before she jogged forward and put some distance between Ed and her. The blond sighed, raking metal fingers through his bangs as he watched her.

"Oh, Tsura!"

He whirled and saw that Tsura was on the ground and crying.

"Hey, what happened?"

"She fell," Elora rolled up the young girl's pants leg and inspected the scrape, "Aw, it's just a little scrape, sweetie. You're gonna be okay."

Tsura sniffed and rubbed her eyes, "You sure?"

"I'm sure," Elora kissed it lightly. "See?"

Tsura smiled, "Feels better. Thanks."

Elora hugged her, "I'll protect you until we get you back to your parents."

Ed swallowed hard, staring at Elora with wide eyes and his face burning unpleasantly. Something came over him in that one moment. He watched as Elora released the child, turning to stand up and smile at him. The moment she was within reach, the blond grabbed her wrist and tugged her forward. His hands landed on her waist as he picked her up, capturing her mouth in a heated kiss.

"Edward!" Elora pushed him away, "What was that?"

"I d-didn't...I'm sorry." Ed stepped away from the brunette.

Elora was blushing, looking more embarrassed than angry.

"That was just weird. Why the hell did you kiss me all of a sudden?"

"I-I d-dunno..."

She blushed and fidgeted, shifting her eyes away.

"Don't do that again... you belong with Winry and I belong with Al. End of story."

"It won't happen again, I promise." Ed said truthfully, hanging his head.

Elora lifted his head by his chin, causing his amber eyes to meet her amethyst.

"Don't make me confront apart of myself that I can't... you hold a piece of my heart, Edward Elric, but the rest of it belongs to your brother. Winry is your soulmate."

"I guess anyone would find a way into each other's hearts if they were stuck together for two months like this." He awkwardly chuckled, "I love Win, you love Al. That's how it is."

Elora nodded, looking away with almost a painful expression. "You're hard not to fall for, Ed. Just keep that in mind."

"Neither are you, surprisingly."

"Hey! Guys! Come on!" Tsura yelled from the top of the hill.

Almost thankful for the child interrupting the awkward moment, Ed cleared his throat as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Come on, Edward."

Elora rolled her eyes, as she grasped his hand and ran up the hill.

* * *

Alphonse watched as dark rain clouds drifted across the sky as he lay atop a grassy hill. The wind blew mercilessly, teasing the blades and the leaves of the nearby trees. He could hear the sound of the river closeby, where Archer was washing up from their several days of travel. Brown eyes closed as he felt the first rain drops pierce his skin and slide down his cheek.

He opened his eyes, recalling every memory in the rain he ever had with Elora. His lips tingled at the remembrance of her kiss. He swore the moment they were reunited, he was going to stop running and finally confess the feelings he harbored for her.

"So much for that one day left predication, eh?" Archer sighed as he approached Alphonse.

"The amethyst is proving to be the hardest stone to find so far, figures." Al laughed, as he propped himself up on his shoulders.

"I find it simply fascinating, albeit ironic due to the fact that the amethyst is the same stone that happens to be close to Elora's eye color. And just like her, it's going to be difficult."

"That was the joke Archer." Al chuckled.

"Of course."

Archer hid his embarrassment. As intelligent as he was, he was a novice to humor. Al laughed softly before he gave a deep sigh. He glared angrily at the swirling clouds.

"No fair, sky! I'm the one who feels like crying..."

Archer frowned, "I miss them too..."

"Archer... have you ever loved someone? I don't mean like siblings or family, but been in love." Al asked innocently.

Archer sat down beside of Alphonse, and was silent before he said, "Not that I can remember. But that doesn't mean much, considering I can't recall my past."

"I wonder why that is." Al asked out loud.

"I'm not sure myself. Arthur always told me that it had something to do with how I got here. I forgot any memories I had that didn't relate to alchemy."

He frowned, "Maybe it's like when I got my body back. I lost all my memories when it came to Ed's and my journey for the philosopher's stone. Then, when I came here, I remembered everything... but it really makes me sad because Ed's friend Alphonse Heidrich had to die in order for there to be equivalence and I could be here with Brother..."

"I wonder if someone had to die for me to be here. I came her abnormally, I didn't take the gate like most, so does that mean the person who was my equivalent is still here?" Archer started to pull up the grass from the hill.

"Maybe... no point in finding out though. We're gonna be back in Amestris soon."

"I don't think I'd want to meet him, to be honest." Archer said.

Al was quiet before he said, "I wonder if Elora has someone in Amestris... I wonder if I would have met her if I stayed there..."

"Maybe, but like you said, it doesn't matter now." Archer shook his head, "Even if we did, they aren't us, not really."

Al was quiet, "But if Elora... and Amelia and Salinger go... won't that mean that three innocent people will have to die?"

"Let's not think about it." Archer murmured.

Al fell back onto the grass, feeling the rain dampen his clothes.

"At least I'm not alone. I'm kinda glad we ended up like this. It gave us a chance to really get to know each other."

"It does, Alphonse." Archer beamed, "I am glad as well."

"I'm so tired. I feel as if I've aged a decade finding all these stones."

"Once we get to Amestris, we can finally relax. It will all be worth it in the end."

"Hey, Archer? Just making sure but... would you approve if I ever wanted to... to marry Lor?"

"I'd more than approve. I'd be the one to marry you both." Archer laughed.

"Good..." Al closed his eyes and sighed happily, "I just can't wait to see them both..."

"Me either. Although, I'm not excited to be called 'girlyman' again." Archer chuckled.

Al smiled, "I'm sure Elora's taught Ed a thing or two about people."

"And vice versa." Archer agreed.

"Time to get going Arch. Elora and Ed are going to beat us to Russia at this rate!"

Archer agreed with a nod, and both boys got up from their cozy resting spot on the hill, and set off together for their last adventure in Brazil.

* * *

"Alright, I'm gonna say this once! I _hate_ hills and I hate caves and I hate... this... world!"

"You forgot sand." Elora smirked.

"And I hate sand too!" Ed spat.

Tsura blinked her large red orbs, "I think Eddy's gone crazy."

"Prolonged exposure to Earth." Ed answered, gritting his teeth.

Elora sighed and muttered, "Grow up..."

"Whatever." Ed glared.

Tsura skipped, chasing a butterfly. "I'm not tired at all."

"See, I'm getting old too. Where has my youth gone?"

"Shut it and help find the stone." Elora growled.

Ed stopped his whining as they finally reached the top of the hill. Nestled against the mountain side was a small opening. Tsura cheered happily.

"I wonder if Mother and Papa are here!"

"Oh honey, they..." Elora broke off, feeling sorry for the young girl.

Tsura was already running for the entrance.

"Momma? Papa? Are you in there?"

Ed and Elora exchanged a look.

"Ow!" Tsura exclaimed, as she pulled her head out of the hole, and reached her tiny hands inside.

"What's wrong?"

Tsura glared, "Stupid rock!" She then pitched it over her shoulder, smacking Ed upside the head with it.

"Hey! Watch it kid!" Ed fumed, as he rubbed his forehead.

Elora was staring at the ground.

"What are you doing, you basket case?" Ed asked bewildered.

"You really are thick aren't you." Elora said, ignoring the blond and reaching down for the 'rock' that Tsura had thrown, "Look, it's the ruby."

"...You've got to be kidding me." Ed face-palmed. "Great, it nearly gave me a concussion."

Elora looked back at the cave, where Tsura was coming out crying. Edward got to her first, and he raised her up in his arms, cradling her.

"What happened?"

"Momma and Papa, they weren't in there." Tsura cried.

"Aw, it's okay." Ed surprisingly seemed sincere. "We're gonna find 'em. Stop crying."

Tsura blinked in surprise, "Did you hit your head?"

Ed sweatdropped, opening his mouth to correct her and tell her that _she_ had been the one to hit his head, but Elora quickly intervened.

"We have the stone. We need to find a blue one like this. Do you know where one might be?"

"No, never seen one like that before." Tsura answered.

"Great, looks like we're going to have to go to a nearby city, Lor. We'll have to ask around."

"That's fine. We should go."

The three of them started to trek down the hill, in hopes that their journey was almost about to come to a close.

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ETP: Yay!

**PK: Almost done with the first story arc!  
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**ETP: Review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**ETP: Sorry for the uber long wait. My partner and I have had troubles getting together and actually finishing the chapter. We've had about ¾ complete for two months now. Hehehe *rubs back of neck sheepishly***

**PK: 2****nd**** story arc here we come!**

**ETP: *sweatdrop* Please excuse him. As of right now we have 2 story arcs following this one. He's pumped.**

**PK: O_O Muffins.**

**ETP: MOVING ON! Disclaimer! **

**Disclaimer: FMA belongs to Arakawa-sama; we however own our OCs.**

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Chapter XV

Ante Meridiem

His footsteps were silently padding against the dirt trail as the two continued their way outside of the small village the two had stumbled across. Archer seemed a little more happier once they had gotten refreshed. He happily munched on the fruit pie he had been given for helping the local librarian from a few thugs. Al followed close behind, trying to stifle his laughter as Archer lapped up some milk.

"Is it good?" Al laughed.

"Amazing! Reminds me of Liora's cooking." Archer paused, "She was a great mother. She treated me as if I was her own."

"She was Elora's mother?" Al inquired.

"Yes. Brilliant woman." Archer mused.

The two fell into silence, walking beside each other in the light of the late spring sun. The air was dry and stagnant, and it tussled the grass in a soft breeze. Dust rose around their feet in small clouds as they trampled along the path. Al had an extra spring in his step as he finally reached Archer's side.

"So, how far did they say the cavern was?"

"Not far. We should stumble upon it soon, in fact."

Al nodded, chewing on his lip as he recalled the deal he had made with Archer when they retrieved the last stone. No matter what, he was the one who had to retrieve the amethyst. Just the fact had him shaking with anticipation, yet deep down his heart quivered in longing and pain.

"Watch your step."

Archer hopped onto a log, balancing on it to avoid the cracked area of the trail that looked as if it was sinking. Al, however, was to lost in thought didn't hear the scholar. He stepped onto the cracks, coming short the moment a sickening groaning sound reached both their ears.

"Alphonse!" Archer exclaimed, whirling around to try and snatch his companion's arm the moment the ground gave from beneath Al's feet.

Al screamed, narrowly missing Archer's hand. The sudden sensation of hanging in mid-air made his body tremble, his hands desperately gripping the sides of the hole as he tried to pull himself out. His arms throbbed from the weight as his eyes desperately locked on Archer's glassed-gaze.

Archer got down on his knees, trying to get a good grip on the log so he could reach down and grasp Al's hand without being pulled into the dark abyss himself, but the material of his coat caused him to slip against the moss-covered log.

"Archer! I can't hold on much longer!" Al grunted.

"Hang on, Alphonse!"

Archer felt panicked, trying to figure out how to safely pull Al out of danger's clutches without putting himself in them. He looked around, trying to find something for the young alchemist to grasp onto. Al was starting to slip, his body swaying as his arms finally lost all feeling.

"Archer!" Al shouted.

"I'm trying!"

Archer looked on the verge of tears moments before the ground beneath Al's arms began to break away. Archer threw himself forward, grabbing Al's hand. The sweat on Al's hand slipped against the material of the redhead's gloves.

"Alright, I'm just about ready to fall at this point! Pull me up!" Al snapped.

"Don't you think I've been trying!" Archer snapped back, a vein throbbing in his temple.

Al rolled his eyes, but the panic and terror returned in an instant as his hand began to slip even more. Archer cursed his gloves and his coat for the first time in his life, watching as Al slipped and fell into the dark abyss.

Archer gasped and lunged over the side, trying to peer into the neverending darkness. A moment later, he heard a faint splash, and then Al gasping for air and more splashing.

"Al!"

"I-I'm okay!"

Archer clutched his chest, hanging his head. If he felt another moment where he thought he had lost the young boy, the bookworm swore he would lose his mind. He peered over the edge of the hole, lowering his hand inside and summoning fire into the palm of his hand.

Archer's fire illuminated the cavern walls and reflected off the black water below. White foam had formed around Alphonse, a result of his flailing. Ripples spiraled out, disrupting the calm surface of the pond. A bright shimmering light that didn't belong to Archer was casting a warm glow on the flowing pond, and rested softly on Al's face.

Al looked up, dark honey strands matting to his forehead at the source of light.

"Archer… get down here!"

Archer gave him a look, "Excuse me? I'm not in the mood to be drenched. In case you didn't notice, water plus me equals my abilities to be neutralized."

"Just get down here." Al said, "It's your fault I'm down here, doggy-paddling."

"Can't you swim?"

"That's beside the point."

Archer frowned, looking at his beloved coat and feeling a whimper emerge from his throat. His eyebrows slanted, meeting over swirling cloudless eyes.

"If I come down there, however shall we get out?"

Al sweatdropped and grumbled, "Fine, stay up there. I'm gonna go ahead."

Archer immediately felt calm, the thought of being underground again had made him feel unsettled. He leaned back away from the hole, rested on a soft patch of earth, drawing circles in the dirt as he waited for Al to search the cavern.

Al swam for the light, letting the water sooth his body, which had been tense from long journeys across Brazil. The water seemed to be flowing against him, and he feared that it would flow underneath the cavern rock, and suck him in. He let his fear control him, as he frantically swam for the source of the light, knowing that it had to be the amethyst. The ground beneath him began to rise, and his feet found level footing, which ended a few short feet away, and cascaded deep into the Earth.

Al waded through the water, and saw in front of him another hole in the ceiling of the cavern, emitting sunlight, which was reflecting off of bright stones that were embedded into the cavern wall. None were the beautiful color of blue-violet that reminded Al so much of Elora. He followed the reflected light as it bounced from stone to stone, and then, it fell directly towards the water, piercing through the dark, landing on a familiar colored stone.

"Archer! Archer! I've found it!" Al exclaimed.

"Great, get it and hurry out." Archer answered back.

Taking a deep breath, Al looked back at the waters and shifted his feet uneasily, feeling his socks squish in his shoes. He fixated his eyes on the stone, kneeling down and taking some of the muck from his arms and using it to draw a transmutation circle. He clapped his hands together, forging a short sword. He then took a step back and jumped into the water, the cold water piercing his skin once again. Shivering, Al tried to keep his teeth from chattering long enough to inhale deeply and dive underwater.

He blinked rapidly, the water burning his eyes as he tried to push himself closer to the stones. He kicked through the water, managing to get to it, but he could feel his lungs burning as he ran out of air. Panicked, Al swung the blade down sharply, shattering the stone and he snatched the largest piece. He kicked off the wall, trying to break through the surface.

His eyelids were getting harder to keep open, the lack of oxygen to his brain making him lightheaded. The sword slipped between his fingers, and thudded into the sandy floor. Al could feel his lungs screaming for air, and against his will, he exhaled, losing all oxygen he had left. Lights popped in front of his eyes, and he could feel his own weight work against him as he slowed his speed, and the water brought him down. Al let out an unheard scream, and slipped into unconsciousness.

_Al…_

He motionlessly opened his eyes, the water filling his lungs as he heard the bodiless voice out of no where. From the light above, he swore he saw a figure reaching out to him. He outstretched his arm, desperate to grasp the hand.

_Elora…_

He broke through the surface, gasping madly for air and pulling himself onto the ledge. Rolling onto his knees, he coughed and retched up water, clutching the amethyst tightly into his fist. The jagged edges dug into his skin, breaking it and he felt warmth slipping coating the stone as he finally rolled onto his back.

"Alphonse?"

Archer's voice echoed, mingling with the gasping breaths.

"I… I-I got it!" Al managed to croak, before bringing the stone up to his face to inspection.

The red of his blood coated the blue-violet surface, the two mingling. He pressed the stone to his heart, finally getting the will to roll onto his knees and stand up. Pocketing the stone, Al moved toward the water, wading slowly toward the source of light.

Archer had managed to create a rope ladder out of vines and was lowering it down just as Al reached it. The dark blond locked his arm around the bottom rung, looking up wearily.

"Pull me up?"

"Of course." Archer obliged.

The red haired alchemist tugged on the ladder, slowly lifting Al up out of the water, and through the cavern, into the daylight. Al fell onto the grass, coughing and still fighting for oxygen. He clutched his chest, and gave a shaky laugh.

"What happened Al?" Archer asked, wide-eyed.

"I almost drowned." Al spat.

"Al, I'm sorry. If I would've came down there, that never would have happened."

"No, it's alright Archer."

Al turned and lay on his back, sprawling out among the grass. His breathing steadily returned to its normal pace, and soon he felt close to normal. Archer sat beside of him, and took the stone from his hands. Archer placed the amethyst in his coat pocket, where it lay with the other stones they had gathered during their journey.

"We've got them all." Archer announced, "We've finally finished our travels here. We can… leave if you want to."

Alphonse bolted up, "Leave… now? Right now?"

"Yes. I'll transport us to Egypt. The last stone we have to obtain is located there; from there we go to Moscow."

"Alright, let's go!" Alphonse exclaimed.

"Al, there's just one thing. We discussed this before; transporting us by fire is going to take a lot of energy from me. You'll most likely have to care for me for a few days after I've done this. Are you up to that?" Archer peered over his glasses, his face hidden in seriousness.

"Of course I'm ready Archer, anything for you, for us."

"Take my hand."

Archer stood up, and held out his hand for the boy. Al grasped it, and pulled himself up. The two exchanged a look, and Archer closed his eyes. A moment of fear surged through Al, fear that the fire would burn his skin. He knew that it wasn't a possibility, that Archer wouldn't let that happen, but it scared him all the same.

He knew this was forbidden. He knew that this was a risk to not only himself, but Alphonse's life as well.

Silence reined over the scene, and Archer broke it by raising his hand and muttering under his breath. Fire erupted on the hillside, burning the grass and raising high around the duo, circling them in a wall of fire. It swirled and moved in closer. Al backed into Archer, almost making him topple over. The flame came so close that it engulfed the boys, covering them but not burning. And then Al felt the breath leave his lungs yet again, and he tightened his grip on Archer's hand, he felt his feet leave the ground, and the last thing he saw was fire, before he blacked out once again, and felt darkness press in on him.

* * *

Amelia and Irvine were pushed across the threshold of an old wooden house. The blond Russian had insisted that they followed her, and they reluctantly did so, wary of strangers. They entwined their hands and huddled close together, staring only at their shoes as they crept softly across the beaten panel flooring.

The house was ancient, at least in appearance. Its ceilings rose high into oblivion, large arches supporting it. There were doors lining both sides of the walls, all glistening, newly polished, with silver door knobs. The doors were made of fine glass, but like the rest of the house, had scratches and the apparent look of long use. They passed through the hallway, and into a large room. The floor changed from rough panels, to dusty checkered tiles. In the center was a grand staircase, fifteen feet in width at least, that rose to a balcony leading to other parts of the house. Nina sat down on a bright red couch embroidered with fine gold thread, and gestured the two to sit with her.

"Where are we, why did you bring us here?" Amelia asked.

"This is the house of my father. I brought you here because I was told to."

"Your father, where is he?" Salinger asked, eyes narrowed.

"He is… dead, killed by a woman named Evelyn." The Russian spoke with no sadness.

"I'm sor-"

"You mentioned Arthur when you met us." Amelia cut across.

"Yes. He was the one who asked me to look out for you." She pointed at Salinger.

"Me? Why me? I didn't even know the guy, just from Elora's stories."

"I haven't the slightest. Three years ago, before he died, he told me that there would be one day when you would arrive in my town, and if that happened, I should take you in," The Russian rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a crumpled photograph, "Here, this is how I knew you were the one."

The smiling face of a younger Salinger beamed from the photo at the two.

"This doesn't make any sense. Teacher took that photo four years ago." Salinger swiped the picture from the Russian's hands.

"It was a task he originally left to my father, but not soon after he contracted a disease, and the task was left to me. So I've patrolled the streets and woods almost every day since. I actually wasn't looking for you today, it was just luck that brought us together. I've neglected my duty for the past couple of weeks, ever since my father passed." The Russian balled her hands into fists.

"Arthur was a wise man. He must have knew that for some reason we would end up in this town." Amelia sighed.

"He also gave me these pictures, but the people in them aren't with you." Nina flashed two more pictures, both revealing a younger Archer and Elora.

"No, we were separated from them some time ago." Amelia began to tear up at the sight of her foster sister.

"I'm sorry. Tears won't make things better though."

"I know. I've changed a lot lately, I've become stronger." Amelia mused to herself, as she wiped the liquid from her eyes.

Silence reigned upon the group. Salinger twirled his fingers, and racked his brain as to why his picture would be among Archer's and Elora's. Amelia smiled to herself, knowing that she would be reunited with her sister soon, and everything would be normal. The Russian pulled herself off the couch and began to walk toward the large staircase.

"The name is Nina, by the way. Nina Raisa Grusha." She turned back and smiled.

"Amelia, and Irvine." Amelia pointed to herself and Salinger.

"Call me Salinger."

"Good, now that we're introduced I can show you to your bedrooms." Nina turned and began to climb the stairs.

"Show us to our rooms? We're aren't staying here, we have to find our friends!" Salinger exclaimed.

Nina faced the duo again, a sly smile spread across her face. "Arthur told my father and I that he believed your friends in the photos were going to start an "adventure", and he wanted nothing more than for us to stop them when they got here. I know where you are headed, I know these lands. Over the years I've grown more and more curious of Amestris. I want to go there with you, and you need my help to get the last piece of the puzzle. Your friends have to pass through this town if they plan to gain access to the other side of the gate. It would be counter productive to leave." Nina flashed a curt nod, and continued her ascent up the stairs.

Questions whirled in Amelia's and Salinger's minds. How did Arthur know they would come here? Why did he include Irvine in his pictures? Why did he tell Nina and her father everything? If he knew the location of the Dragon's Heart, why did he not tell Archer and Elora? And why did he want to stop them?

"Are you coming?" Nina called down from the balcony.

Amelia and Salinger looked at each other, still confused of what was happening. They clasped hands once more, locking together their fingers, and began to follow Nina, now more confused about the future than ever.

* * *

Tsura kept her eyes focused on the sky, her hands folded on top of Ed's head as she propped her chin on them, riding on his shoulders. He had a protective grip on the small Roma girl's calves as they trekked over the hills, stopping every person they passed to inquire about the whereabouts of the caravan of Gypsies they had been trying to find.

"Edward, I think she's hungry." Elora piped up.

Ed glanced at her, "What, your Mother senses are tingling?"

Scathingly glaring at him, the brunette then rolled her eyes and turned her attention on the child, who perked up at the mention of food. Ed heaved a heavy sigh, stopping on top of one of the hills. It overlooked the valley and the sun was just starting to set.

Ed knelt down, allowing Tsura to slip down his back until her dainty feet touched the ground.

"Thanks, Eddy!" Tsura giggled, hugging his neck and pressing her lips to his cheek.

Normally anyone who dared called him that nickname would've been yelled at and threatened to never have the ability to speak again, but with Tsura, he didn't quite mind. As Ed watched the little dark haired girl bound over to Elora, who immediately embraced her and picked her up, affectionately kissing her cheek as they set off to find some wild berries in the bushes.

Ed never really thought about settling down and having a family before, especially when he was younger. He always thought Al would be the family man, blessing him with nieces and nephews. He never imagined himself with his own children - children with brilliant blue eyes that would light up whenever their inventive minds would start to whirl - and he never thought he would ever be one to get married to the woman he loved.

"Winry…" Ed whispered, feeling the uncomfortable scorching in the back of his throat.

Elora looked up from guiding Tsura by her shoulders, her hands cupped with a large leaf holding a bunch of wild strawberries. Her face was crestfallen as her fair eyes took in the sight of silent tears slipping from his face. Within seconds, Elora's hand was brushing against his shoulder. Ed didn't move, not even when Elora wrapped her arms around him and pulled his face to her stomach, just comforting him.

She spoke no words, for the words he needed to hear were silently screaming inside her, ringing deafeningly in his ears. His arms awkwardly wound around Elora's small frame, his hot tears slipping through the material of her shirt, mingling with the rust colored bandages under the surface.

The sun's final rays set and night took them under it's cold embrace.

**

* * *

PK: ….Muffins of doom.**

**ETP: *face-palm* Just stop talking.**

**PK: REVIEW! *runs around in Mustang cosplay***

**ETP: O.o where the hell did you get that?**

**PK: 8D In my head XD**

**ETP: …Please review guys! *shoves PK into closet***


	16. Chapter 16

**ETP: We are back!**

**PK: So close to 2nd arc… TwT**

**ETP: Soon, only five more chapters.**

**Disclaimer: We don't own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

Chapter XVI

Looking into Darkness

Evelyn sat alone, hunched over a table made of fine glass. Soft tears rolling down her face, anguish etched in every corner. The room was lit by a small candle, the flame danced in place, lighting the dungeon with a small glow. Memories floated in and out of her mind, the pain of where she had just been tugged at her heart. She clenched her fist, nails digging into her palm.

She let the depression wash over her once more, and the tears resurfaced. She had always been strong, she had always pushed herself, and now more than ever she wanted that composure, wanted those feelings. Her mouth felt of cotton, dry from crying for so long.

A small knock on the dungeon door woke Evelyn from her thoughts, "Madam, you have a visitor."

"Send him in Finnigan." Evelyn hissed.

As Finnigan gave a low bow and shuffled off to do as he was told, Evelyn wiped her eyes and face, hiding all traces of tears. She immediately found her cold, composure. She would not let anyone see her in her time of weakness, giving them power over her. Independent, Evelyn had sincerely loved her fiancé, despite how cold she may've appeared toward Ryan. His death had shaken her resolve, but she quickly regained it.

She now had the alchemy of one Izumi Curtis. She knew no terror. Death was simply not an option for her. Soon, very soon, she would be ever powerful and be able to conqueror the Promised Land.

However, such a task wasn't easy...

"Those little brats have played right into my hands." Evelyn smirked, laughing calmly.

"Evelyn, my dear, it's been a while."

Liam Rosenburg stepped into the small alcove, ducking as not to bump his head,

"Although, I didn't think our meeting would be in such a dreary environment."

Evelyn sent him a false smile, "Liam, darling, it's been quite too long."

Liam gave a nod, his hazel eyes cold. He wore his red hair short, and a beard clad his rough features. His eyes flickered as he noticed the tattered red ribbon hanging over the edge of the glass table.

"May I ask what has become of Amelia?"

"Escaped, with the aid of Izumi Curtis." Evelyn gritted her teeth.

"What a pest, will have to deal with her," Liam's brow arched, "You were supposed to house my daughter, and yet you've failed."

"We won't have to worry about Curtis any longer, I disposed of her for good," Evelyn turned away from Liam, "If you would have just given me those children in the beginning, we wouldn't be in this situation."

"You know we needed both Elora and Archer to open the gate, we knew nothing of how to forge the stone."

"Yes, dear Liam, but why did you house that foul alchemist Arthur. You knew of his attachment to Curtis." Evelyn fumed at the thought of the woman who killed Ryan.

"Arthur and I had a long friendship. I agreed to house him, and I agreed not to stop you from killing him. That way I could honor both your friendships and you both could attack each other as much as you desired. Anyways, by letting Arthur live, he gave us exactly what we needed to get to Shamballa."

Evelyn froze, standing up slowly. Her eyes were fixated on the glass, her other hand moving to grasp the pendant she wore around her thin, ivory neck.

"Yes... yes, he did indeed... Elora is truly the weakest link, her abilities given to her instead of being natural... she plans on sacrificing her soul, well, little does she know that is what exactly what Our Lord wants us to have her do."

"Yes, it seems everything has fallen into place, although not in the way it was originally planned." Liam replied as he drew closer to the blond.

Evelyn gave a soft laugh, it building louder and higher as she lifted her head and finally let it jerk back. Her laughter rebounded off the walls, before abruptly stopped. Her eyes focused on the politician, a smile crossing her features.

"Liam, darling, shouldn't we attend to our guest?"

"Of course. Where is Ryan? This was always his sort of thing."

Evelyn visibly flinched, keeping her voice steady as she replied, "Ryan is no longer with us, I'm afraid. That bitch Curtis took his life before sacrificing her own, allowing me to steal her alchemy in order to save the children. Foolish, ignorant woman. Elemental alchemy is forbidden for a reason. Creating that vortex with her own spiritual energy... no wonder killing her was as if I took the life of a helpless child."

"She used the air to summon a portal to save the children? She had grown ignorant with old age," Liam shook his head, "Seems she'll never get her revenge on me for killing her lover, Arthur should have never betrayed me."

Evelyn sighed, "Which is why Ryan and I saw it so pointless to have offspring. The sacrifices parents make for their children are ignorant." Her eyes locked on Liam, "I'm quite surprised by how easily you sold your daughter to us to use as a tool against the Elrics and your foster daughter."

"Elora isn't any child of mine, foster or otherwise." Liam simply replied. "It was Amelia's stepmother who wanted her when Liora and Carlisle died."

"Ah, yes. It tends to slip my mind that Amelia is a bastard child, born out of wedlock between your favorite mistress and yourself. How much did you pay your wife and the mistress to keep their mouths shut again?"

"Enough to dig my own grave," Liam chuckled, "It seems luck had been in my favor with her and that boy. Had I known that Arthur would grow attached and teach them the secrets he kept from me, I would have never rejected her stay with me."

"And now that we have our own little spy, it's only a matter of time." Evelyn smirked.

Liam glanced at the ribbon, watching it cascade to the floor and coil as Evelyn went to leave the room.

"Yes... only a matter of time."

Even to him, those words sounded hollow.

* * *

Al felt his feet land on soft earth, and he met the familiar tingle of sand. He took a quick look around, and in the distance he saw triangular objects on the horizon. He instantly knew that Archer had taken them to the right place, and joy spread throughout his body.

"Archer! Archer! You did it! We're he –" Al stopped dead.

Lying on the ground, unconscious and pale as snow, Archer was crumpled into a beetle like position. His legs were drawn tight up to his chest, abnormally stuck there on their own. Blood was seeping from his nose and ears, staining the sand crimson.

Al took three heavy gasps of air, before screaming in horror. Tears fell rapidly from his eyes as he crumbled to his companion's side. He checked for a pulse, finding it weakly beating.

"Archer, ARCHER!"

Al heaved Archer into his arms, looking all around, and thanking God or whoever listened as he saw he wasn't that far from a village.

Placing Archer over his shoulder, he stumbled across the dunes, loosing his footing and sliding down them, desperately trying to keep his grip on his friend. Sweat and Archer's blood mingled, slipping down Al's face as he stumbled and staggered, desperately trying to reach his destination.

"N-N -!"

Al hit the sand hard, tripping and Archer's full weight hitting his back. Tears of frustration began to burn the blond's eyelids as he got to his knees, stealing a glance at Archer. The sight of him sent Al's heart wrenching in his chest, a newfound strength and vigor rising within as he pulled Archer back into his arms, getting back to his unsteady feet.

Wind ripped through the desert, and the sand began to pick up, swirling around in the distance. Al began to lose hope once more, a weight had been feel into hi stomach. The sandstorm drew closer, and his hope was faltering. Then, a dark movement caught his attention out of the corner of his eyes. Al whipped his head around, seeing a cloaked woman approaching.

She stopped, her eyes widening in what could only be recognition, before they took in the bloodied state of the redhead in Al's arms. Immediately, the stranger rushed forward, swooping down and pressing her hands against Archer's chest, feeling his weakening heart beat.

"Who -"

"It's alright. I'm a friend."

* * *

"Hey Elora, how about you take those strawberries and turn them into jam. I could go for a sandwich." Ed smirked.

Elora glared at the blond alchemist, before yanking off her boot and sending it flying towards his head.

"Hey! That almost got me." Ed chuckled.

"Shoe. Get it." Elora demanded, pointing down the hill.

Ed rolled his eyes, before standing up and stepping over the elaborate picnic that Elora and himself had created. Tsura was fast asleep, cuddled up against the milk jug.

_If it wasn't for that fact that she's cute, I'd burn it. No…that'd ruin a perfectly good fire. _

He staggered down the hill, it still wet from the morning dew. Ed spotted the shoe, and bent down to pick it up. He felt a hard knock against the back of his head, and he tripped forward, tumbling into the grass.

"Get that one too." Elora smirked.

Ed whirled around, glaring daggers into the young female, who simply stuck her tongue out before turning around to start picking up their belongings. Ed smirked, picking up one boot and weighing it in his hand, before he pitched it at Elora's rear. She yelped, jumping and grasping it and turning around, face red and livid.

"Payback," Ed snickered.

Elora bent over to grab her shoe when Ed hit her in the rear again with the other, pumping his auto-mail arm into the air and hissing a cheer. Elora tugged her boots on, wincing as she rubbed her now sore and most likely bruised flesh, twitching a little. She dare not yell at him though, in fear of waking the slumbering child.

Ed turned to stare out into the country-side. Rolling hills, covered in dark green grass spread out amongst the skyline. He shifted his eyes, staring at the dirt road that trailed between the valley. A line of caravans were traveling along the road, nestled between the hills.

"Elora!"

"Shh! Be quiet, you'll wake Tsura!"

"I think she'll want to be awake for this!" Ed called back.

"What are you on about?"

"I think I found the Gypsies!"

"W-What!"

Elora scrambled downhill, stopping with her short tresses brushing against her ears as she looked out. Blue-violet eyes widened, filling with tears she quickly wiped them away. Ed frowned, noticing her eyes had taken on a sapphire hue as she turned around to scramble back up the grassy hill.

"Tsura… Tsura, baby, wake up…"

Tsura moaned in her sleep, batting her hand at Elora's arm, snuggling against the milk jug. Sweatdropping, Elora sent Ed an annoyed look over her shoulder as he finally popped back up over the hillside.

"Do you mind lending me a hand here, _Daddy Ed_?"

Ed twitched and moved forward, simply scooping Tsura in his arms. The Roma girl tightened her hold on the milk jug, whining in her sleep as she nuzzled against Ed's shoulder. Elora hastily grabbed their bags, yanking the quilt that they had been sitting on and tossing it over her shoulder, strawberries flying in the air and raining down on them as they hurried off the hill and toward the caravans.

"We're going to lose them!" Elora shouted.

"Like hell!" Ed grabbed Elora with his free hand, and sent her flying forward.

Elora took the initiative, narrowing her eyes as she tucked her legs to her chest and rolled down the hill. She landed face first into the dirt, blocking off the last caravan's path. The horse pulling it neighed loudly, jerking back onto it's hind legs. Elora managed to sit up and screamed, paralyzed in fear, ducking and covering her head as she waited for the hooves to make impact.

"NO!"

Elora felt herself being tackled out of the way, hitting the ground hard. Gasping, her eyes fluttered open to see a Roman man cradling her protectively in his arms. The top part of his locks were white and he had an x-shaped scar across his face.

"Riktor, is the child alright?"

The man nodded, straightening and peering down at her curiously. "What were you doing?"

Elora rubbed her sore back as she got to her feet, "Listening to Edward…" she muttered.

"Lor!"

Just then, said bright young man appeared, still carrying Tsura, who had slept through the commotion. The beautiful woman who had asked Riktor gave a gasp.

"My babe!"

"Shanti, wait!" Riktor exclaimed.

Shanti was already making a beeline towards Ed, who jumped and cradled Tsura, leaping backwards. "Whoa, hold it lady! Are you Tsura's parents?"

"Riktor, it _is_ Tsura!" Shanti was weeping in joy.

Elora approached Ed slowly, bringing a hand up to Tsura's slumbering face and brushing her fingertips across the dark-skinned cheek. Darkened eyes flickering in sadness turned to the Roma couple.

"We've traveled a far distance to bring your daughter back to you. She is an amazing little girl. I've come to adore and cherish her dearly…" Elora looked at Edward, holding out her arms. Hesitantly, the blond shifted the child to them, trying hard not to show his own emotions. Elora approached Shanti, whispering, "I'm happy she is back with her true family."

Shanti carefully took her child, cradling her with Riktor running his hand through Tsura's dark curls. He gave a nod of gratitude towards the two alchemists. Elora wiped her eyes furiously.

"Wait, don't you wish to say goodbye?" Shanti said softly.

Elora shook her head, "It's easier if she wakes up and finds her real parents holding her."

Ed brushed his hand against the small of the brunette's back, his arm snaking around her waist and pulling her close. Elora buried her face into the crook of the taller adolescent's neck, weeping silently. Riktor moved to carry his daughter to the back of the caravan.

"Why did you do all of this?" Shanti whispered, tears filling her own ruby eyes. "We are Gypsies, outcasts and unwanted. Why would you do so much for a child that was not your burden?"

"Because… we're not like other people." Ed said, his own voice thick. "As much as she annoyed me, Tsura showed me what it was like to care for something as precious and frail as a child. Without meeting her, I doubt I'd ever know the true longing of wanting to be a father. I owe her… I owe Elora too." He tightened his hold on the girl in his arms, "but Tsura is safe, and back with her family. Her people. Stay together, okay?"

Shanti nodded, weeping softly as she turned to head back to the caravan. Ed brushed a chaste kiss to Elora's temple, trying to comfort her like any other elder brother figure would, before they turned to leave as well.

"Wait!"

They paused, glancing to see Riktor approaching. He gently took his wife's arm, pulling her close and whispering to her in Romani. Shanti hesitated before reaching into her shawl, pulling out a ragged dark blue stone, one that was clearly held as a trinket, despite its appearance.

"Take this… please."

Riktor tossed the stone, Ed narrowly catching it. "A sapphire?"

"It is all that we have. Take it to… remind you of Tsura." Shanti said softly, nodding at Elora.

Elora watched as Ed took her hands, placing the stone in her palms before enclosing her fingers gently around it. Pressing her hands to her heart, Ed gave her a reassuring smile, his gold eyes clearly saying the words 'It will be okay'. Elora nodded after a moment.

"Thank you, so much!" Elora turned and bowed to them, "Tell Tsura she can keep the milk jug!"

Ed sweatdropped, "Only reason we got the damn thing…"

Elora grabbed his ear, "Moving on, Edward!"

"Hey! OW! NEED THAT ATTACHED TO MY HEAD!"

The two hurried down the dirt road, unable to say the one goodbye a parent should never have to say to their child.

* * *

Nina had set the table, three silver plates set out amongst fine glass goblets. A gold cloth lay over the oak table, and three iron chairs were placed in a triangle around it. A roasted goose, with fresh vegetables made the meal, and Amelia and Salinger happily gobbled down their food, both having not eaten in almost a week.

"I hope the meal is to your liking." Nina announced, pouring wine into her goblet.

"Anything would have sufficed at this point." Amelia answered cheerily.

"Would either of you like some wine? My father keeps great stocks of it the cellar."

"Well, I'd love some, Irvine shouldn't drink though." Amelia giggled.

"Well, we aren't going to drink to that point."

"He has low alcohol tolerance."

"How do you even know that?" Salinger glared.

"…Elora."

Nina shockingly giggled, making Amelia and Salinger send strange glares her way.

"Uhm, excuse me." Nina returned to her stony expression and continued eating her food.

Amelia brushed a scarlet curl behind her ear, before picking up her fork and doing the same thing. Salinger cleared his throat a bit awkwardly. Since being rescued by Nina and taken into her home, the two had tried their best to relax and fall into a less guarded state of mind, but it deemed impossible. Their two month long torture had broken all trust towards others, excluding their friends out there somewhere in the world.

"Nina, may I ask you something?"

"Of course, Amelia. What is it?"

"Do you know anything that regards my sister… where she is, what has happened? Anything?"

"Last I heard, she was in a hospital in Iran. An old dear friend of my father's contacted me. Farah said that there was a young man with Elora, by the name of Edward."

"Ed's with Elora? Then where in heaven's name are Alphonse and Archer?"

"I'm afraid I do not know of their location. Farah simply informed me that Edward arrived, carrying Elora's half-dead corpse. Elora has contracted a chronic illness, one that hasn't a cure… well, one to doctors of nowadays medicine's knowledge, that is."

"So what does that mean?" Salinger demanded, russet orb narrowing on the Russian woman.

Amelia had blanched, rigid in shock at the news her beloved sibling had a chronic illness. Nina placed down her fork and wiped her mouth with her napkin.

"Only an alchemic cure can save your sister's life." Nina opened her eyes, pinning them on Amelia. "Arthur feared this would happen the moment he found out that Archer and Elora performed the blood exchange behind his back. Alchemists who obtain their abilities from Amestrians are abnormalities and the alchemy begins to eat away at the physical structure of its host. Elora has contracted a disease that only Earthling alchemists suffer from."

Tears dropped from Amelia's eyes, staining the golden table cloth. She clenched her dress, which Nina had leant to her. She shook her head, scarlet curls tumbling around her face.

"No. You were right earlier. Crying solves nothing, I must be strong. For my sister, and for our friends." Amelia grinned.

"Crying doesn't always mean weakness, sometimes it means someone who is strong simply can't take anymore. You'll be okay, as will your sister." Nina finished off her wine.

"Thank you." Amelia replied.

"No need. I tell the truth, I don't expect friendship in return."

"Doesn't mean that you won't get it." Amelia smiled.

* * *

"Right there, on the bed!"

Al didn't know what compelled him to follow the strange woman into the village, when he should've been rushing to find a doctor. Perhaps it was her eyes - eyes that simply shone of kindness and trust - that entranced him enough to believe her words when she said she was a friend and knew how to save Archer's life.

Al stumbled through the small inn room, trying as gently as possible to rest his fallen companion on the small bed while the woman disposed of her cloak and started to wash her hands and arms furiously in the sink. Al stepped back, panting violently, his heart racing in his chest.

Why had he let Archer transport them by fire? They should've just ridden the damn boat!

"Here, give him this, pour it down his throat." The stranger handed him a goblet full of blue liquid, "It's made from the roots of a mandrake. It'll cure his paralysis. I have nothing that will bring him from his slumber. Only he can do that."

Al quickly dribbled the drink into Archer's mouth, making sure each drop made it in.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"My name…is Farah Shevan." Her eyes inspected Al carefully, "You look almost identical to your brother."

"B-Brother? You've seen Ed!"

"Yes, in Iran. He brought in a young girl, who was nearly dying. I knew she was an alchemist the moment I saw the tattoo on her wrist." Farah paused, "You may not be aware of this, but she has an incurable disease of this world."

Al paused, "Shevan… you're the woman Brother spoke of!"

"You've spoken to Edward? How are Elora and him?" Farah looked anxious.

"It was as you were treating her, I haven't heard from him since." Al looked down at his feet.

"Treating her is why I'm here. I was run out of my village, damned because of my gender. Women aren't supposed to treat the sick…I've traveled for weeks, it just so happened that I met you. You look just like Ed, I knew you must have been the brother he spoke of. This poor boy had obviously suffered much damage from alchemy." Farah motioned to Archer, as she placed a wet cloth on his forehead.

"Will he…be alright?"

"I am not sure. I can tell you no doctor in this world will be able to help him. I have studied alchemy for a long time, learning of its existence from a man named Rupert. It seems as if he's attempted elemental transportation. It's forbidden alchemy, you know." Farah sat down in a chair beside of Archer.

Al's eyes fell, "He did wonderful. Brought us exactly where we needed to be. Egypt is beautiful…"

"May I ask what has brought you to the Land of Pharaohs?"

"An emerald, uncut and in its natural state. Do you know of where I might be able to find one?"

"There are several tombs all around this area. One of them, surely."

Al nodded, glancing at Archer. "Can I leave him with you?"

"Of course. I will see fit that no harm comes to this poor boy." Farah nodded.

Al took a deep breath, not sure if he should place his faith and trust into the enchanting woman before him, but she reminded him so much of his mother. She had seen his brother, looked after his beloved, and she had helped stabilize Archer's condition even though she only knew them because he was Ed's younger brother.

"My name is Alphonse Elric." Al said suddenly, "Please, look after Archer while I'm gone."

"Perhaps you should shower and rest a little before you depart. It may renew your energy."

Al hesitated, before nodding. This would be a test. If he showered, leaving Farah alone with Archer, that would prove if Archer would be safe with her. His link to Archer would surely let him know if Archer was in danger. It was how he knew Archer was weak, frail and on the edge of the abyss.

They were connected in ways he barely understood, yet dare not question.

* * *

Al awoke alone, is his own room the next morning. He had left Archer in Farah's care for the night, hoping with all his might that the woman was as trustworthy as she appeared. Light shone in through the window, casting a strong glow inside the room. He got out of his bed, and quickly dressed, wanting to get across the hall and to Archer as fast as he could.

Pulling on his shoes, he took one last sweeping glance around his room, making sure he head all of his belongings, before he stepped out into the hall, and knocked on the door across from his own. He got no answer, and fear instantly crept up on him. He turned the knob, finding it unlocked, and entered.

Farah had made a small pallet on the floor for herself, she was still sleeping, softly snoring into her pillow. Archer was lying on the bed, the cloth still pressed against his forehead, dressed in new garments. His usual clothes lay neatly on a chair at the foot of the bed, newly cleaned.

Al sighed, relieved and impressed at how well Farah kept care of the redheaded alchemist. Not wanting to wake her up, he grabbed a pen and piece of paper, explaining that he had headed for the tombs. Once the note was tucked safely where she would find it, Al leaned over the bed, brushing some bangs out of Archer's closed eyes.

"I'll be back soon, my friend."

With that, Al turned and tiptoed out of the room, shutting the door softly behind him. He hurried down the hallway stairs, darting out of the small inn and into the sunlight. His hand reached up, blocking it from his eyes. He glanced around, watching the inhabitants of the village passing by, glancing at him briefly before carrying on.

Al jumped in excitement, spotting a camel renting area a little down the street. He grabbed the money out of his pocket, renting one. The camel eyed him for a minute, before trying to spit at him. Al gave a cry, narrowly evading the lugie.

"This is why I like cats…" Al muttered, trying to climb on.

A little help from the camel owner and another flying lugie later, Al was seated on the camel. Backwards. At least he was on, that much he was grateful for as Al tried to turn sideways so he could steer the creature. He ran a hand through his bangs, shaking his head and wondering how in the world he ended up trekking through a desert on a camel's back, completely alone.

Oh yes… they had been eager and careless, sick with loneliness and wanting to be closer to their love ones, so they took a risk. Now Archer was suffering for it, on the brink of death, and Al was all alone in the middle of no where.

At least he knew Ed was alright. However, morbid thoughts plagued him as he thought of Elora and her illness. He had come too far to lose her now, not after all they had been through together. When he saw her again, Al was going to set everything into stone.

"I'm done running." He proclaimed, determination and fire in his eyes.

Then, he found himself head-first in the sand.

Al dug himself free, glaring at the camel, before he took off his shoe and pitched it at it. It missed, the camel simply eyeing him before spitting at him. It landed right on his forehead.

Camel, one. Al, zero.

Cursing hysterically, Al hopped over to his shoe, bending down to retrieve it only to go face first in the sand again as the camel's hoof connected with his backside.

"Dammit!" Al shot up, "That's it! I'm done! It's official! I hate deserts and you! YOU, YOU SMELLY DEMON CAMEL FROM HELL!"

The camel simply went to spit again, Al ducking and diving under its legs. He hopped onto its back, grabbing the reigns tightly in his shaking fists, a vein throbbing in his temple.

"Okay, when this is done and before we leave, I am so asking Brother how to rid this world of these demon beasts."

Al and the camel strode forward, heading toward the pyramids far in the distance. The sun bared down on his skin, making him uncomfortably warm. The pyramids drew closer to him, and the sun rose high in the sky. Al had removed his shirt, wrapping it around his head to keep the sweat from his eyes. The desert, the camel, everything seemed to be against him in his endeavor.

Finally, after almost two hours of traveling, he came upon a cluster of pyramids. All four rose high into the sky, the rock turned yellow with age. The first pyramid produced nothing but gold and rubies. The second housed mummified animals, obviously belonging to a pharaoh in older times. The third pyramid had no visible door or entrance, and Al had to dig at the earth. Finally, sick of digging, he clapped his hands together and pressed them against the stone. A small hole appeared, big enough for him to climb through.

_Why didn't I think of that first? _

The inside was even more hot and humid than outside, and he began to feel lightheaded. He would have to make this fast. The walls were decorated in beautiful colors, forming pictures and symbols. Al ran forward, into a small walkway. The walkway led out into a large room, and in it lied a sarcophagus. Al shuddered, shivering as he walked beside it, glancing at the fine treasures piled around it.

"Yes!"

Al couldn't believe his luck, snatching the emerald. He cheered and twirled a bit, so happy he wouldn't have to go deeper into the tomb to find it. He froze in his cheering, feeling the temperature around him drop considerably as he glanced down at the sarcophagus.

Was it just him, or was the case opening?

Al did the first thing he could think of. Scream at the top of his lungs and hightailed it out of there, running as fast as he could. He burst out of the entrance, tripping and rolling a few times before landing at the camel's feet. The camel looked down at him before taking a step over, turning around, and sitting on top of him.

Al wiggled his head and upper torso free, gasping for air, and then smacking the camel's thigh. "I seriously hate you."

**

* * *

**

**ETP: Al can't win.**

**PK: Alphonse, what have we learned today?**

**Al: I. Hate. Camels. *burns a camel plushie***

**ETP: *pats on head* There, there**

**PK: Reviews please :3**

**ETP: ….Um, we need to borrow that tranquilizer gun. He wants to go camel hunting.**

**Al: CAMELS MUST DIE!**

**PK: *shoots and sedates Al* There we go! :D**

**ETP: ….put down the gun now… DUDE! PUT DOWN THE GU - GWAH! *gets tranked***

**PK: Sweet, sweet silence.**


	17. Chapter 17

**ETP: Almost done!**

**PK: CAN'T WAIT! *waves arms around like crazy!***

**Disclaimer: FMA still doesn't belong to us!**

* * *

Chapter XVII

Once Upon a Time There Was You and Me

Elora had been acting really strange all day. Ed had noticed it as they crossed the Japan countryside, heading through the Kyoto region to stop for the day. They were making their way to the mountains, to find the topaz, and then they would be heading on their way to Moscow via train once they reached Seoul. It had been two weeks since they had been given the sapphire by Tsura's parents.

"Hey, Lor, wait up, would ya?" Ed called after her.

Elora was walking briskly, arms crossed over her stomach and eyes focused forward. Ed waved at the farmers they were passing, before grumbling and rushing to catch up. For some reason, the brunette was keeping an extra amount of distance between them.

"No time to dawdle, Ed." she said shortly, not really paying attention to what she was saying.

"Elora, you've been acting weird all..." Ed broke off mid sentence.

"I'm just excited about getting to Moscow." she shook her head.

Gold eyes narrowed, _Wait a second... three weeks ago today was Archer's birthday, wasn't it?_

As if she had read his mind, Elora began to walk faster, putting a bigger distance between herself and the older alchemist.

_Why doesn't she want to celebrate her birthday? _

"Hurry up Ed, don't' want to get lost!" Elora teased as she broke out into a run.

Ed groaned, "Elora, wait up for a second!" He ran after her as they reached the outskirts of the city.

Elora ignored his plea, and broke away from his sight as she crept into the unfamiliar city.

_Dammit!_ Ed groaned, having lost the girl.

Ed stopped, looking around the sea of black and brown in hopes of spotting Elora. It was nearly impossible though. She wasn't exactly tall, only around five-six in general, so she blended in perfectly with the crowd. Ed crinkled his nose and placed a hand on his hip, the other going to his chin as he thought hard about where to look first.

"So she doesn't want anyone to celebrate her birthday, huh? Well, like it or not, I'm getting her something, dammit!" Ed exclaimed, determination on his face. "It's the least I can do!"

Elora had slipped inside an old book store. Feeling triumphant on her loss of Ed, and was peeking through the dusty old novels. Her thoughts turned to Archer.

_He'd love this one._

She dug out the emergency funds she had in her boot – the funds she had neglected to inform Ed of, in case he became impulsive and wanted to splurge – and counted out enough for the book. She paid for it, unaware that Ed was glaring at her through the store window. He crossed his arms and tapped his foot.

Elora made her way out of the store, and bumped straight into Ed, who had a stony frown plastered on his face.

"It's your own damn birthday and you're spending your money on someone else?" He sighed.

"Excuse me if I don't feel the need to spend money on something as so unimportant as my birthday!" Elora snapped.

"Unimportant? It was the day you were born." Ed growled, "And we're going to make it a great day!"

"I just don't see the point. It's just another day..."

Ed rolled his eyes before locking their arms, pushing through the crowd of people, looking for a nice restaurant or clothing store. Elora really did need something new to wear; it had been so long since they had spent money on themselves for something other than food.

The brunette grumbled, attempting to pull free from his hold. Ed refused to release her however. He was going to make sure she was selfish for once, dammit! The selfless Elora was a great person, but she needed to remember that she was important too. It was bad enough she was sacrificing her own soul for the sake of them.

Today was _her_ day. He was tired of seeing her sad and lifeless. For once, he wanted to see her act her own age. Today was her sixteenth birthday. She had finally left behind childhood and had blossomed into a young woman.

"Where do you want to go?" Ed asked.

"No where, now let me go!"

Elora was furious, if she could still use her wind alchemy, he'd have been toast. The blond whirled around, grabbing her shoulders tightly. Elora glared up at him, eyes flashing with amethyst fire as they collided with smoldering topaz. The hold on her shoulders tightened ever-so-slightly.

"Al would kill my ass if I didn't do something special for your birthday, Elora."

"You won't get to see him if you keep acting like this!" Ed glared at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she pouted, and Ed saw, for the first time since they were separated, a hint of the old Elora.

His lips twitched into a small smile at that.

"What are you smiling at Ed?" Elora asked, irritated.

"Nothing. Now, how about we get you some fresh clothes?" Ed pointed to a large pink building.

Elora shook her head fiercely, "Don't wanna."

He twitched a bit, "Dammit, woman, we're getting you some new clothes!" he snatched her wrist.

He would drag her sorry ungrateful rear end into the shop if he had to.

Elora tried to jerk her hand free, her bangs falling into her eyes. Ed whirled around to glare at her, noticing her cheeks were stained bright red. A couple of locals were pointing at them and whispering. Elora caught the words "lover's quarrel" and her blush, if possible, darkened.

"What'd they say?" Ed raised his eyebrow.

"Let's just go in the damn store and get this over with." Elora hissed, trying to get away from the crowd.

Ed lost all interest in what the locals had been point at, and quickly slipped inside the shop, bringing Elora with him. The store was colored a light pink, and held many different styles of clothes inside. Elora backed into a corner and took to staring at her shoes.

Giving a heavy sigh with a rake of his hand through his bangs, Ed tried to find a way to get the brunette to develop at least some interest. She continued to hug herself and stare at her shoes, trying to ignore the chatter of the women behind the counter. She caught the word "lolita" and it made her face burn even more.

_Why does everyone here think Edward and I are together!_

"What about this?" Ed asked, holding up a lacy black dress.

_Oh, that's why. _

Her palm met her forehead, "So not helping the situation, Edward!"

"Come on! All you have to do is pick out some clothes and this will all be over." Ed grinned.

Elora pouted, "I don't want a dress. I already have one."

"Well, what about this trench coat? Seems like something your weird brain would like."

"Stop trying to understand me!"

"Wow, I've never heard you sound more like a teenager. What happened to the mature Elora from two hours ago?" Ed joked.

Tears were filling the corners of her eyes, "You're just a big, stupid, dummy! I hate you! I hate you!"

With that said, Elora turned and ran from the shop, crying.

_What have I gotten myself into?_

Ed sweatdropped, before placing the clothes he had wrapped around his arm back on their rack, and running out of the shop. Sighing heavily, Ed wandered through the town. He went to turn around once he reached the bridge, only to catch a glimpse of white and black ducking down the embankment and underneath it. Ed felt himself smile a little.

_She'll never realize how alike Al and her really are._

Ed approached the younger alchemist. He felt like it was a hundred years ago when he met her. They had come so far from fighting over a map.

Elora jerked from surprise at Ed's footsteps. She swiftly turned and glared at him.

"Come on." He said, shaking his head.

"Just leave me alone..." she said, about to slip off her boot and nail him in the face with it.

"Can't do that. What kind of a friend would I be if I left you alone on your birthday?"

"Ed, just go away! I don't want to celebrate my stupid birthday! I just want to go to Russia! I want to be with our friends and I want to just get away from this ludicrous and cynical world! I want to go to Resembool, I want to see Central, I want to meet Winry, and I just want to find a home! That's it! Okay? So can you just leave me alone, please!"

"Why?" Ed asked bluntly, not taking his eyes off Elora, "Why don't you want to celebrate your birthday?"

Elora gripped her blouse, bringing it to her eyes and furiously wiping away the tears, "It was three years ago today...when Arthur died. What's the point when all my loved ones are hundreds of miles away? I don't have any parents, the closest thing I had to a mother is most likely dead, my foster father used me, and my mentor is dead. I have nothing."

"You have me. You have Archer, Alphonse, Amelia, Salinger, Izumi, and so many more once we get to Amestris. I know none of them are here with you today, but I don't think they would want you to feel like this on your birthday. I know... I know it's tough. Being away from everyone you love, but you can't let that take you under. You have to live for yourself. Arthur, he wouldn't want this."

"You don't know Arthur... you can't say that... It's been almost three months, Ed. I think I'm allowed to give in to sorrow. I can't be strong all the time! I'm not you!"

"You don't think I get sad? You don't think I'd give anything to be with my brother again, to see Winry? Hell, even Mustang? Missing someone doesn't make you weak. You're weak when you would rather mope then try to enjoy yourself. You'll see Archer again. Hell, he might already be waiting on us when we get to Moscow. That's just a week or so away Elora." Ed grabbed her shoulder, "I'm here for you."

"You're not your brother, Ed!" Elora snapped.

"Stop thinking you can be here for me like he can! You don't love me like he does! Your love for me is like a different planet in comparison! It's alien and doesn't make sense! You know that those people were saying back there? They thought we were a damn couple! I'm sick of that! I'm sick of no one understanding where our relationship lies! I'm tired of us looking sinful!"

"Looking sinful? Who decides what sin is? Bigots. I thought you had more respect for yourself."

"How can I when I don't even understand what I feel?"

"You're not the only person who is confused about how they feel. The whole world is Elora. You just have to learn step-by-step who you are and what you want."

"Stop lecturing me!" Elora clamped her hands over her ears and clenched her eyes shut. "I don't want to hear anymore! I just want to be with Al and Archer!"

"Fine. Act like a brat. I thought you'd grown up, but apparently I was wrong. I'm going to the inn we passed on our way here, when you're done feeling sorry for yourself, come there." Ed glared at her, and turned on his heel before he disappeared into the crowd.

Crying, Elora opened her eyes. She had gotten what she wanted. She was left alone.

How come it hurt so much, realizing how alone she truly was?

* * *

Archer felt as if he was floating. He could feel the familiar push of wind against his face, whipping his hair. He felt weightless, free. He longed to open his eyes, see what foreign things surrounded him, but something told him to keep them closed. His feet hit hard ground, and the wind died. The air became stale, and fear surged through his body. His eyes flickered open, heart pounding deep in his chest. What he saw shook him to his core, freezing him in position. He wanted to run away, scream for Elora, but he didn't know where he was, and Elora was far away.

A door, no, a gate stood before him. It was tall, towering over him with a sinister air. Several statues were carved into its black stone, and on the entrance was a large eye, glaring down at Archer. A crack split the eye down the middle, and the entrance began to open. Archer grabbed his coat, wanting to run away, to go back to Alphonse.

The gate swung open, and blackness loomed in its depths. Archer fell to his knees, clenching his face in horror.

Where am I?

A figure began to form in the dark, and Archer backed away, shuffling to his feet. A tall man, hidden by shadow, hovered just at the brim of the gate. They longer Archer stared, the more detail became noticeable. The man had wrinkles lining his eyes and mouth, and gentle blue eyes stared back behind round glasses. His hair was dark gray, messily slicked back. A presence of greatness shone about him, a strong demeanor lied within his crooked grin.

"A-Arthur?"

"Archer, my dear boy." Arthur replied.

"What's happening? Am I…am I dying?" Archer's voice shook.

"Only the dead and dying visit this gate, that is true," Arthur stepped out of the shadow. "But you, are neither."

"Then why am I here?"

"You should be dead." Arthur said flatly, "Elemental transportation is a dangerous and forbidden method of alchemy. It almost always kills the user. My lovely Izumi… she used it twice with only minutes separating each use…"

Arthur's expression briefly changed from brilliant and reserved to mourning and sorrowful. Another figure appeared behind him; Izumi, rugged as ever, brushed a stray dreadlock from her face.

"She hadn't used her alchemy in so long, and the first instance of teleporting didn't instantly kill her, but in the end she sacrificed herself to save our son."

Archer felt hot tears trail down his face. Elora and him had lost two mentors. The ghostly figure of Izumi faded back into the darkness.

"Your son?" Archer managed to say.

"Irvine," Arthur lamented, "But now is not the time to speak of such things. We do not have long. Your soul will be returned to your body soon."

"How am I here Arthur?"

"As I said, you should have died. You have been brought to the gate because in all terms and technicality, you are dead. Your bond with Elora, and the Elrics have saved you. Your soul lived on with them in the form of blood exchange, so something like this cannot kill you easily."

Archer tugged at his chest, thinking of Elora. Before he knew it, he had ran to Arthur, wrapping his arms around the elderly man, holding him in a tight embrace.

"I've missed you so much." Archer buried his head into Arthur's coat.

"I know you have," he and Archer let go of each other, "Being dead has been has its perks. I know of everything you two have done to return to Amestris."

Archer could see a tear rolling down Arthur's wrinkled face.

"Archer, I… am so sorry."

"What for, you have done nothing."

"And that is exactly what I'm sorry for. So much regret, I have done terrible, terrible things."

"Arthur…"

"It is time I told you everything, everything I have kept silent from you all these years."

* * *

Farah and Al had been trudging in snow for days now. Winter was leaving in a viciousness manner, and having to carry an unconscious Archer the entire trip had really complicated things. The longer they traveled, the worse he looked.

His skin was paler and more gaunt than it ever had been and his eyes were sunken in. They had managed to smash up fruit and force feed him so he could gain nutrition, but it was only doing so much. The snow which had lightly frosted the ground just a few days ago had turned into a hellish blizzard. The cold bit down upon the trio, forcing them to camp earlier and earlier each night. Alphonse was losing hope.

He was glad that Farah agreed to come along, he saw no other way that he could have brought Archer by himself. She watched over the sick boy as if she was his mother. She wouldn't talk about herself much, and when she did it was always of her family. She would never tell Al what had happened to them, and he learned to not question the subject. Through the storm, they had lost their way. Al was sure they had been in Russia for at least four days, maybe more. He had only hoped they were going in the right direction; Moscow.

He sat outside of the entrance of the cave they had taken shelter in, bundled in a thick fur-trimmed coat and he had a pair of goggles pulled over his eyes, a scarf wrapped around his mouth and nose tightly, allowing no flesh to be windstung and assaulted by the cold. He sat with his knees drawn tight to his chest, his bottom numb but he didn't feel like moving or even sleeping. He just needed a moment - one brief moment to gather his incoherent thoughts and attempt to calm the fear that was eating away inside and try and revive his fallen hopes that they would make it to Moscow, back to the arms of loved ones.

Al could hear Farah rustle about inside the cave, puttering away, probably mashing up an apple to feed to Archer. How had they ended up like this? Al was now separated from everyone, no ties to any truly familiar faces. He longed to talk to his brother, hug Elora, kiss her once more. His scarf billowed in the wind, fluttering in his face. Would he die out here? Alone with a woman he barely knew, and a friend he allowed to almost die for his selfish desires? No, he couldn't think like that. Death wasn't an option.

Eyes closed, Al could almost feel the cold breath of Thanatos on his face, almost hear the whipping of the dark cloak, drawn over the skeletal face that was the face of death. He waited for a moment, felt almost a touch lightly grip his shoulder, and the faint hooves of a pale horse rang in his ears.

Yes, Death had come, but decided there was one last chance to allow life to continue flowing through his veins.

"Alphonse?" a voice called out.

Al turned his head, seeing Farah at the entrance to the cave, cloak wrapped tightly around her and she tried shielding her face from the harsh winds and swirling snow. Gesturing for him to come inside, Al managed to pull himself to his feet, moving his numb muscles and walking inside. They walked further into darkness, to the small fire that had been built for warmth and where the tent had been tied up, using jagged stagmites and rope to keep it upright. Archer's frame was hidden from sight, currently bundled in spare blankets to keep his body warm.

Al settled himself down on a tattered wool blanket, crossing his legs and using a stick to shift the wood of the fire, adding a few more pieces to allow the flames to thrive. He tugged down his hood and scarf, pulling his goggles onto his head, revealing the dark circles marred underneath cold brown eyes.

"How is he?" he croaked.

Farah clutched her shawl. "Worse than ever. No matter what I do, no matter how much food I force him, he continues to wither away. I'm scared for him, Alphonse."

Al didn't speak. He couldn't look Farah in the eyes. He knew she was doing everything possible to keep Archer from passing, but even the thought that he had mere days left shook Al to his core. It had been poison to his mind for the passed two weeks.

If Archer died...

"Thank you, Farah."

"You should eat... we need our strength for when the storm passes."

Al shook his head, "My stomach would reject it. I'll try and eat later, okay? I'm going to go back outside and keep an eye on the storm."

"Of course... I shall stay and watch over Archer."

Nodding, the blond got back to his unsteady feet, his boots echoing against the stone ground as he headed back for the mouth of the cave. Resuming his original position, Al tugged back on his scarf, goggles, and hood, watching.

Waiting.

Silently, he plead for someone to come along. Anyone who could help them. Minutes ticked by.

Long, agonizing...

Al sighed heavily, about to head inside, noting the storm didn't seem like it was going to let up soon. Standing, he groaned as his bones popped and pain shot up his thighs from his stiffened knees. He tried to move his fingers in his thick gloves and made a grunt of pain. He turned, pausing as he heard a sound that did not belong in the howl of wind.

"Voices... Voices! Farah! FARAH! Someone is nearby!"

Farah quickly appeared out of the cave, face flushed and holding her chest, "Where? Did you see anyone?"

The voices rose above the wind once more, two girls, yelling across a distance to each other.

"Stay here!" Al demanded, before tumbling off into the snow, leaving a distraught Farah leaning against the cavern's mouth.

He jerked the scarf down, cupping his hands over his mouth, yelling as loudly as his lungs would allow him.

"..._Not over here_..." Al heard as the voices grew louder and more distinct.

"HELLO! PLEASE! WE NEED HELP!" Al cried, hoping for a reply.

The voices grew distant, quiet. Al felt his hope leave him.

_No...please...please... if there is a God... please let them come back... please..._

Tears filled the bottom of the goggles, leaking from his eyes as he screamed until his voice was hoarse.

"..._Hello_?"

"YES! OVER HERE!" Al jumped, waving his arms through the blinding whirlwind of snow. He could see a black figure against the snow now. His hope returned in a heartbeat, "OVER HERE! THIS WAY! I'M RIGHT HERE!"

"...Alphonse?" the voice exclaimed.

"...Who are you?" Al hesitated, a glimmer of happiness filling him at the thought that he would be reunited with Elora.

"Oh, Alphonse! It is you!" the figure became more visible, "Nina! Come here!"

Blinking rapidly, Al wrenched off the goggles, draining them of the water. He felt the tearstains on his cheeks grow stiff and he ran forward toward the figure running toward him. The wind was knocked out of him, feeling her tackle him in an affectionate hug.

"Alphonse, I'm so happy we found you! Nina, Irvine, over here!"

He recognized the honey-toned voice, short scarlet curls peeking from under her hood.

"A-Amelia...?" He returned the embrace. "Amelia! AMELIA! I'm so happy to see you!"

"I though– well, never mind. I'm so happy you're safe. Where are the others? Are they with you?" She released him, and dusted the snow off her coat.

Al's face turned grim, and Amelia instantly caught the expression.

"So you're alone..."

"Not exactly..." Al trailed off as Salinger and a blond Russian girl, who must have been Nina, had emerged.

Salinger jolted, then broke into a run and tugged the smaller statured boy against him in a tight embrace.

"Al, so good to see you, man!"

"S-Salinger!" Al was caught off guard.

"So, you're young Alphonse." Nina grinned from behind Salinger, "We've been waiting for you."

Al felt his cheeks warm as the beautiful Russian spoke to him and said his name. It was an instinctive reaction, but it felt loads different from how he felt whenever Elora said his name. Biting his lip, the blond tried to remember the sound of her voice, realizing it was faint and he couldn't.

"Where's Archer?" Salinger questioned.

"He's...back at the cave. Follow me." Al turned, and retraced his steps in the snow, "Why were you out here?"

"Miko got out." Amelia informed him, pointing to a large white cat lying in Nina's arms, "We were afraid she'd freeze in this weather."

"How close are we to a village?"

"Nina's hometown is about half a mile east of here." Salinger pointed into the white.

They had reached the cave, and Al felt his stomach drop. Farah was no longer waiting. Al stopped dead, scared of what reactions Amelia and the others would have.

Amelia watched the younger boy carefully, noting how rigid he was. She felt her stomach lurch in dread as they finally reached the small campsite. A woman with dark skin and dark eyes was moving around, gathering their equipment and stowing it away.

"Where's Archer?" Amelia whispered.

Al wordlessly held open the flap of the tent, gesturing for her to go inside. The redhead felt Salinger take her hand, giving it a small squeeze while Nina remained in her spot, stoically watching with vivid green eyes. Al glanced at her, swallowing hard at the slight resemblance the girl had to Nina Tucker. They were barely there, but there was something about her face that reminded him of the lost little girl.

"Oh my goodness..." Amelia breathed, "My dear, sweet Archer!"

She scrambled to the unconscious scholar's side, taking his limp hand and pressing it to her face, which had tears sliding down it from her eyes.

"How, Al? How did this happen?" Salinger said, his tone soft and filled with raw emotion.

"It was my fault -" Al was cut off.

"Don't say that! It wasn't your fault Alphonse." Farah touched his arm.

The two exchanged a look, "What happened? Tell us, please."

"After...we got all the stones in Brazil... Archer used alchemy to transport us to Egypt by fire. He didn't know... that it was forbidden... and it would nearly kill him. He's...fading... Farah was damned by her village because she's a woman, but she knows about alchemy! She's trying to save his life but... there's nothing more we can do. It's up to Archer now if he's going to give up and die or fight and wake up."

Nina was quiet until this point, "I will take over nursing him, to give you a break Ms. Farah. Now we must move him and get him back to my manor. Irvine, Alphonse, if you will?"

Both blonds gave a nod before they moved to grasp Archer, wrapping the blankets around his frame as they moved to carry him. Amelia and Farah cut the ropes of the tent.

"Leave it." Nina ordered, "There isn't any point carrying it around any longer. Leave it for another poor unfortunate soul to use as shelter."

Nodding, the woman moved to grab the bags of equipment, slinging them onto their backs before the group moved to trek out into the storm, Nina's hand idly scratching Miko behind her large furry ears.

* * *

The streets were dark by the time Elora finally willed herself to pull herself together. She thought back on her actions, shaking her head at how immature she had been behaving. Today was her sixteenth birthday, yet she acted as if she was eight. Yes, the stress and the aching and longing had done its toll on the young girl, but she was so much stronger than this.

Her hands shoved in her pockets, Elora paused beside the dress shop she had fled from earlier. Distantly, she recalled Ed trying to find something nice for her to wear. She had been so mean to him, and all he had done was try and make her birthday special.

Chewing on her lip, Elora entered the shop, rummaging quickly through the clothing before she found a sleeveless blue kimono top and a pair of matching knee length shorts. She browsed through the obis, picking a silk white one with blue butterfly print, before she paid for the outfit and stepped behind the changing screen and changed into it. She had help with the obi, and the woman even offered her a pair of sandals and socks to go with the outfit.

Elora took them, carrying her folded blouse and traveling pants over her crossed arms, admiring her reflection. She loved Oriental clothing, feeling pretty despite how plain the outfit really was. She then turned and left the shop, heading for the inn to find Ed.

She slid back the door and tiptoed inside, finding the blond grumbling with his back to the door, lying on his side and muttering about her. Elora placed the clothing silently on her bag before she tiptoed and sat cross legged beside him. Her fingers reached over, tapping him on his shoulder.

Ed shot up, rolling into a crouch, and froze when he saw her.

"You look... different."

"I'm sorry. You're right. I was being immature and selfish."

"I was being pushy..." Ed sighed.

"We were both wrong?"

Ed nodded, rubbing his arm.

"Happy Birthday." Ed grinned sheepishly.

"Thanks, it needed a bit more happy."

"Well, the night's still young! Do you want to go get something to eat?"

"Sure. A ramen bowl sounds nice."

The two companions left the room, Ed smiling as Elora walked with a little more spring in her step. She really did seem a lot happier than she had been earlier. Glad they had made up, the older alchemist grabbed her arm, leading her to the ramen shop.

As they ate, Elora laughed at Ed's failed attempts at using chopsticks before showing him how it was done. He watched her as she slurped her noodles into her mouth.

"I got you something." Ed spoke up.

She turned, noodles hanging from her lips with head tilted to the side, looking puzzled. The blond reached into his pocket and set something on the table. The moment his hand was pulled away, Elora choked on her food, eyes wide in bewilderment at the topaz sitting between them.

"I went and got it. A boy showed me where to find one near a shrine closeby."

"We were supposta go together!"

"Yeah, well, consider it a birthday present."

Amethyst eyes glared at him, "Ed, that was thoughtless and dangerous. What if you had gotten hurt? You should've lemme know!"

"Kinda hard to do that when you wouldn't talk to me." Ed snickered.

She glared down at her bowl.

"I'm more mad because you could've gotten hurt. The state I'm in, I would've been useless and unable to get to Moscow on my own... and I don't have any alchemy to help lug your sorry ass there. You can't be so reckless, Ed... we're a team. Been one since we got on that train and realized we were all alone."

"I understand. I apologize. But now, we have all the stones. We're done here."

"...is it really over?"

He glanced over at her, seeing she was smiling.

"It's...finally over... I can finally... see my brother..."

Elora grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

"I hope Amelia and Salinger are okay."

"I'm sure they are."

Ed held her in a sideways embrace, pulling her bangs away from her face with his free hand.

"We can leave for Seoul in the morning, then we'll be on our way to Moscow."

"I bet Archer and Al beat us already."

"Wouldn't surprise me at all! They got the brainiac." Ed teased, "I miss his girly face."

Elora playfully smacked his shoulder, "Stop picking on Archer! He's saved your ass more times than you can count!"

"True," Ed nodded his head.

"Well, now I'm tired." Elora yawned, "Think we should call it a night?"

"Please?" Ed chuckled, slurping down his last bit of ramen.

Elora twirled in her stool and hopped down. The blond grabbed the topaz, shoving it safely into his pocket, before the two of them set out down the street, arms linked as the full moon shone brightly above them.

* * *

Arthur had sat down against the gate, seemingly resting his back, but Archer knew that he couldn't feel such things in death. He had been quiet for some time, looking down at his thumbs, shaking his head. Arthur was trying to sort it all out in his mind, make things come back, make memories aged by death coherent.

"If I must start somewhere, it better be my awakening in this world. Please, sit down." Arthur gestured to a spot across from him, but Archer stood quite still.

"If you must," Arthur sat up, almost floating in his mannerisms, "When I came here, a long time ago, I was an angry youth. I had lost the life I knew in Amestris, and lost my family. I wanted nothing more than to gain back the alchemy that I lost, to get home. Years passed by, and I lived as nothing more than an empty shell of the human I once was."

Arthur blinked, his eyes seemed to see something that Archer could not.

"Then, twenty-five years ago, I met a woman named Eckhart. She was very young, but she knew of alchemy, or, she had limited knowledge of it. I was so desperate to gain back my abilities, that I agreed to go along with her and her followers. Soon, more joined our group, a woman named Evelyn, a man named Rupert, and Elora's own foster father Liam. Eckhart's group was determined to gain alchemy, even in the most cruel of ways. I turned a blind eye to her wickedness, knowing that once I obtained my alchemy, I could leave her and return home."

"What happened?" Archer asked, curious.

"I fell in love."

"With Eckhart?" Archer asked bewildered.

"No, with Izumi Curtis. I met her while searching for alchemic secrets in Europe. She was lovely, and I was smitten. She knew of alchemy and had researched it for a long time. She was the original owner of the alchemy text that has proved so useful in your search. It was passed down her family, and it was wrote in an ancient outdated script. We spent our lives researching the language, trying our best to decipher it, soon, we discovered that humans from earth can gain alchemy by sacrificing a portion of their soul, and blood exchange. We swiftly did the exchange, and miraculously she gained the ability."

"You see, all humans have a sort of circuit inside themselves that allows them to do alchemy, but when the humans of Earth shunned alchemy, they lost the ability to use that circuit. The only way to reactivate it was to sacrifice a portion of their soul, or to sacrifice an Amestrian alchemist. Unfortunately, Evelyn had overheard Izumi and I talking, and decided Amestrian sacrifice was the only route. She didn't want to give up her soul."

"And that is where her blood lust began." Archer mused to himself.

"Desperate for a way to do alchemy, Izumi suggested a reverse blood exchange. It did the trick, and my abilities were restored. You see Archer, for anyone to use alchemy in this world, Earthlings and Amestrians must come together, not be torn apart from evil acts."

Arthur cleared his throat, "Izumi became pregnant. It was the final straw, I left the group, for fear that they would sacrifice me, and fear that they would come after my child. We ran, went into hiding, and Izumi had our son, Irvine. Over the next six years we tried our best to stay together, but ultimately we split up for safety. Izumi went to live with Irvine in St. Jurgen's, where she came to hate alchemy for everything it had done to her. I returned to the only person I knew that I could trust. Liam, Elora's foster father. I had saved his life when he first started out, and he felt he owed me. And soon, you and Elora came. I was forbade from teaching you anything of alchemy."

"But you did..."

"Yes, I did. I knew instantly that you were from Amestris, I could feel it. I immediately asked for permission over you, and began training you in the ways of alchemy. We performed the blood exchange to retrieve your dormant abilities. I felt it horrible to let an Amestrian youth, one who had lost his memories at that, to not know of his roots. You proved to be a difficult one to handle. You would sneak and read my notes, if you remember. That's how you learned of the blood exchange. I told you to never speak of it, and then you and Elora went behind my back and made it. I was furious, afraid of what Liam would do to all three of us if he found out."

Archer was silent, remembering that late night in which Elora had snuck into his room, rousing him and pleading for him to grant her her dream.

"I'm so sorry, I barely remember any of that, it was so long ago." Archer bowed his head in shame.

"Fret not my dear boy, you were children, and good came of it," Arthur said with a twinkle in his eye, "So I began to train Elora as well, so she wouldn't accidentally use alchemy in front of Liam. It was around this time I discovered, inside Izumi's text, the twelve stone and Dragon's Heart method of returning to Amestris. But now, after everything I had lived through, it was useless to me. I had heard you and Elora speaking of going to 'Shamballa' and I knew that the road their was nothing but blood and torment, so I kept the method to myself. Something I've regretted ever since."

"So that's how everything has happened...but...you gave us the textbook when you died, why?"

Arthur peered over his glasses, "I was good friends with a man named Rupert. He was apart of Eckhart's group when I was, but when he became the first of them to sacrifice an alchemist to gain alchemy, he became disgusted with himself and moved away with his daughter Nina. The group was after him as well, so I never asked to be housed by him. I did visit him frequently though. You see, he, along with Izumi, contracted a disease a few years after they gained alchemy. It is a disease that eats away at the host, killing them slowly. It attacks those humans who have gained alchemy from an Amestrian and reopened their circuit. Elora has contracted this same disease."

"No..." Archer mouthed the word, not being able to bring himself to talk.

"I had created a remedy of sorts. Something that would prolong their life, and slow down the process, giving the user another fifteen to twenty years of life. I was so scared for Izumi, so scared to lose her. I knew the second that Elora gained her alchemic abilities that she had got the disease, so I would slip portions of the remedy in her meals. Four years ago, Liam discovered that I had been teaching you alchemy, and I began to fear for my life, I knew my days were numbered. On my last visit to Rupert, I gave him pictures of you, Elora, and Irvine, telling him if he ever saw any of you, to house you please, and not allow you to enter the mountains beyond his village."

"He took the request quite literally, and would patrol the streets of his hometown three times a week afterwards. Finally, three years ago, I foolishly drank wine offered from Liam. I was poisoned, and it was killing me slowly. On my death bed, you and Elora cowered over me with such soft and frightened eyes, but yet I saw something in them, I knew you wouldn't rest until you found your way home, so in my dying act, I handed you the textbook, and told you -"

"The secrets you are looking for are held within its pages, please be safe." Archer finished.

"And then I died. I've been lurking in the gate ever since, watching over you and Elora, hoping that you wouldn't join me. I've been such a foolish old man, I underestimated you and your sister. You must hate me." Arthur's arms drooped to his side.

"I could never hate you. You're the reason why I am who I am. You've taught me so much, and even in this hell you're still teaching me. You... loved me when no one else would. You're human."

A tiny tear fell from Arthur's eye, and he glided to Archer, grabbing him in a tight embrace.

"I will miss you when you leave, my son, but I will be happy. You are lucky to have the ties you do, your blood exchanges have saved you. You do not deserve this."

"Will I see you again?" Archer asked, he felt childish, as he rubbed his eyes.

"No. This is how it must be."

And suddenly, Archer felt himself floating again, and he knew that his time at the gate was over. He stared one last time into it's black abyss, but was surprised to see the faces of people shining back at him. A older woman, with brown hair and a kind smile, a gruff looking man with long hair and a beard, Izumi, still radiant even in death, a green eyed man, with a slight smirk, and a man with a scar like an 'x' across his face. They soon faded into the black, just as Izumi had done before, and Arthur waved his final goodbye before he too disappeared.

The gates shut behind him, and Archer would never see him again.

* * *

**ETP: *sobbing in corner* RIP Arthur! We love you!**

**PK: Poor Archer! **

**ETP: The ending is coming close! Will Ed and Elora reunite with the rest of the their comrades?**

**PK: Let's hope they do! Review please! :3**


	18. Chapter 18

**ETP: Thanks for the reviews! **

**PK: More would be appreciated!**

**Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist belongs to Hiromu Arakawa. All OCs belong to us.**

* * *

Chapter XVIII

If You Are My Love

His body felt heavy, sharp aches and pains shooting from every nerve as his chest rose and fell. Archer tried to open his eyes, but they were heavy. His fingers twitched; brushing against the softest wool he had ever felt. Pale lips parted, a soft grunt of agony slipping past them, before gray eyes finally fluttered open.

The world slowly came into focus, blurry at first until he felt the cool metal frame of his glasses being placed back on his face. The world returned, sharper and vivid. The first thing he saw was dark green eyes, as brilliant as emerald, dark and long lashes framing them and a curtain of fair locks like spun gold framing around a delicately sculpted face, with full lips parting and forming a small smile of relief.

"You've finally awoken, Archer."

Archer groaned as he slowly sat up on his elbows, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings and the stranger sitting beside the mammoth bed he was in. He realized he was simple glad in a t-shirt and pants, his coat hung up on the back of the closet door, looking completely cleansed of all dirt, sweat, and grim.

"Wh...where am I...?" he said, his voice coming out in a rasp.

Her hand brought a glass to his lips, "Drink this."

The icy cold water slid down his parched throat, it tasting like nectar.

He had never felt more weak, more vulnerable than he did now. He was alone with a girl he had never met. Shed of his coat, glasses, and scholarly demeanor. Where was Alphonse? How had he gotten there?

"You've tried something foolish, elemental transportation is forbidden for a reason." the young woman said curtly, resting at the foot of the bed and giving him a curious look.

All the memories of Arthur came rushing back to him. He had almost died, and in the process learned everything.

"Where's Al?" Archer said groggily, trying to stand up, only to fall to his knees, not strong enough to support himself.

Her hands gently grasped his slim waist, pulling him back to his feet and setting him on the bed. Archer's heel pressed against his forehead, feeling a way of vertigo hit him. Her hands left his frame immediately, her straightening and glancing down at him.

"Alphonse is resting at the moment. Amelia and Irvine are keeping an eye on him."

He shot up in excitement, only to regret it when a sharp pain ran up his back, "They're here too? Elora... Edward?"

Green eyes flickered, "No. Neither of them have arrived."

Archer immediately felt disappointed. How much time had passed?

"I've been watching over you for almost a week now. That was when we found Alphonse and Farah a half a mile from here, in a cave. Before you inquire, yes, Alphonse did retrieve the emerald. If Elora and Edward have done their task, all of the stones have been recovered from the elements."

"I'm sorry to be rude, but who are you and why do you speak of our goals as if they concern you?" Archer shot.

"My name is Nina Grusha. Your concerns are my concerns. Have been for the past four years."

He quirked an eyebrow at those words, "Please, elaborate."

"Your mentor Arthur asked my father, and me as an extension, to wait for your arrival." Nina smirked.

Something immediately clicked in Archer's mind, "You're not going to stop us. Arthur's wishes have changed."

"As have mine. I do not wish to stay in this world, and it just so happens that you have a way for me to escape."

Silence filled the room, Archer reaching up to brush stray strands of auburn out of his face as the vertigo finally passed completely. He was starting to feel a little more stable, a little more aware of his surroundings and not as vulnerable.

"I'd like to see my friends, please."

"Of course. They will be pleased to hear of your awakening." Nina turned to leave the room.

The moment the door was shut, Archer fell back onto the pillows and took several deep breaths of air. It filled his lungs and he moved his fingers and toes, just happy to be alive. He had some close to death – the fact he was still breathing and functioning was something to be praised.

His thoughts trailed to Elora and Ed.

It had been a little over three months now since their separation. Archer wondered how much his beloved sister and best friend had grown and matured. He himself had changed, becoming a lot more independent emotionally and physically. Al had been a crutch in replace of Elora, but without the young wind alchemist, Archer had managed to do something he hadn't before with her around.

He had finally become his own person, able to function without her. He didn't need her opinion on everything anymore, didn't have to stop and second-guess his decisions and factor in her feelings. All his decisions were his own.

He could hear swift footsteps, echoing loudly in the hall outside. Murmurs passed his ears, and the voices outside grew louder. His mouth twitched into a smile, he would finally see his friends at last.

The door opened, before Archer heard a loud cry of happiness. The next thing he knew, arms were wound tightly around his neck, and warm tears were raining down on his face.

"You... You're okay!" Al shouted, embracing the older boy yet again.

"Al – erk ah!" Archer squeaked as pain shot up his back.

"Alphonse, he is not yet healed. Please, be careful." Nina said, true worry in her eyes.

Al jumped back, "Sorry!"

Archer winced, trying his best to give the alchemist a smile. "It's quite alright, Al."

"He'll be in bed for a couple of more days. He is still healing. It's alright though, he has me." Nina informed the group.

Archer glanced at her, finally realizing that Amelia and Salinger were in the room as well. Amelia brushed a hand through her now short curls, smiling as she wiped the tears in the corners of her honey eyes. Salinger had his arm around her waist, and he was smiling at Archer, giving a small nod.

"I am sorry, everyone. I have been so foolish." Archer muttered.

"You haven't, at all. You didn't know that elemental transportation was forbidden." Amelia piped up, gripping Salinger's hand.

"How did I get here, Al? What has happened since I fell unconscious?" Archer asked.

Alphonse retold his story, telling of finding Farah, sneaking in tombs, and trudging through harsh blizzards. Archer looked mortified when he was done.

"Seems like I caused more problems than I solved."

Al waved it off, "It doesn't matter. What matters is we got all the stones, and you're okay. Nina has been kind enough to house us, especially after finding Amelia and Salinger."

"The night in Poland, we were captured by Evelyn and Ryan. They kept us prisoner for two months under their manor. Then... Teacher... she appeared in a vortex of wind and she saved us." Salinger explained.

Amelia nodded, "When we got out, we found ourselves in the woods. We ran into Nina, and she took us in."

"Izumi, she had passed on, has she?" Archer said with a whisper, a pain in his chest that did not belong.

The room went cold. Al looked from Amelia and Salinger, back to Archer, eyes widening.

"H-how did you know?" Salinger stuttered, tears forming in his visible eye.

"Once Ed and Elora are here, I have something to tell everyone." Archer answered.

"Ah, he's awake!" A sweet and calm voice filled the room as Farah swooped in from the hall.

"What did you mean, Archer? What do you have to tell us?" Amelia demanded, ignoring Farah.

Archer glanced at them, "Station?"

"Every day, we've gone to the station to see if Edward and Elora would show up." Salinger explained.

"I'll be accompanying them this time. Nina must stay here with you. I do hope you turn out well." Farah said, smiling brightly.

"Who... are you?"

"She's the woman I told you about. Farah. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have been able to save you. She's the reason why you're alive." Al nodded.

"Please, Alphonse, it wasn't much." Farah glanced at her feet.

"Thank you so much, Farah. I owe you everything." Archer grinned.

The woman's tan cheeks flooded with red, before she formed a small smile. Al sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching over and taking Archer's hand for a minute.

"Maybe today's the day we'll all be together again. Maybe that's why you woke up right before we had to go to the station..." Al whispered, squeezing tightly. "I'm so glad we're finally together again, Archer. Thank you, for everything you did. All that you sacrificed for our selfish desires. One day, I will pay you back, my friend."

"No need, it was you too who saved my life." Archer beamed.

"Once Elora and Ed are here, we'll all have a long talk. Many things must be discussed, and it would be interesting to hear everyone's stories first hand." Salinger announced.

Al turned pink and gave a nervous chuckle, "Yeah... guess so..." Clearing his throat, he glanced back at the clock, releasing the warm hand of the flame alchemist. "Alright, guess we better be going..."

"Please hurry back. Lunch will be ready when you return." Nina followed them outside of the door, ushering the group.

Al turned around in the doorway, smiling back at Archer.

"I'll be back soon... with your sister."

"And with your brother."

Brown eyes met gray, before they nodded and Al finally turned away. Nina shut the door, the cat now perching itself on the end of the bed and curling up for a nap. She moved to perch herself in the chair beside the bed, glancing at Archer curiously. The two stared at each other for a few moments, before Archer had to force himself to look away, a strange warmth flooding his cheeks.

"I-I like your cat." Archer mumbled.

_Dammit. _

"Miko likes you too. Quite surprising, actually. She doesn't warm up to strangers. She seems quite taken with Alphonse and yourself, however." Nina replied, reaching over to stroke the feline lovingly.

"I've always loved cats; they have a fondness for me." Archer said, finding himself staring at Nina again. She reminded him of something, his past, he couldn't grasp it.

"You were talking a lot the last couple of days. Mumbling, crying. What happened when you fell unconscious?"

"Oh, uhm, nothing at all. I don't even remember." Archer lied.

"You're a horrible liar Archer." Nina said, moving from the chair to Archer's side.

The heat in his face was becoming far more worse, burning like fire itself. She sat on the edge of the bed, leaning in closer, emerald eyes searching his, seeking answers to silent questions. He shifted his gaze away, feeling the unnatural twist of nerves in his abdomen, and his hands become abruptly clammy. Her scent was of jasmine, something the young boy had only encountered a few times in his life. The scent made him feel warm, his head feeling almost fuzzy from it.

Why was it the closeness of this stranger was making his body react so strangely?

"Your father, is he dead?" Archer said abruptly, remembering his conversation with Arthur.

"What? O-oh, well, y-yes." Nina stuttered, taken aback.

"...Now you're the one who is lying."

Nina's pretty features went cold, expressionless. "Funny. It seems to me you haven't any ground to make such an accusation about something so serious." She stood up, turning away from him. "I'll be back in a few moments."

"I-I'm sorry." Archer stammered, regretting his words.

"No need to apologize. You meant what you said, people always do."

"I didn't mean it so harshly. It was just, when you answered, there was something in your eyes, something missing from before."

Nina glanced back at him, surprise flickering in her gaze. It was as if she was in shock over the fact someone had read her so easily.

Now she was the one who felt vulnerable.

"Are you hungry?" Nina then whispered.

"Very much so."

"I'll be back." Nina almost whispered.

She left the room, and closed the door behind her. The light in the hallways cast a dark glow around her. She leaned against the door, and hung her head.

_How did he see right through me? He had only known me for a mere hour, and I feel as if he already knows me completely. _

Nina wiped her brow, and regained her former self. She wouldn't allow such things to bother her, not now.

She slipped down the hallway, and off into her own thoughts.

* * *

Snow flurries danced through the cold air as they nervously paced the station. Farah was reading a newspaper while sipping a thermos of hot chocolate she had brought while they waited. Salinger and Amelia sat close knit on the bench, the blond trying to rub his significant other's hands through her gloves to keep them as warm as possible. She pressed a kiss to his cheek in thanks, the two of them smiling lovingly at one another.

Al smiled a small smile, pleased to see that the two of them had managed to find love and comfort within each other. He looked away from the young couple, hands slipped into the pockets of his coat. His cheeks were pink, wind stung from the frosty air, and he was leaning against a pillar of the platform. He kept his eyes on the tracks, looking out to the east, waiting and hearing the ticking of the clock.

A low whistle in the distance caught their attention. Perking up, shades of brown eyes all turned just as the train arrived. Steam billowed up to the swirling gray clouds, the snow flurries whipping rapidly in the air around them. The doors opened, and the once nearly empty station was bustling.

"Alphonse, do you see them!" Amelia exclaimed, hopping to her feet, and barely able to contain her excitement.

Al searched the crowd eagerly, standing on tiptoe. Right now was one of the few times the Elric missed his 7'3" height advantage. After a few minutes of straining and searching, Al felt his hopes cascade and evaporate.

"No… they're not here…"

Salinger flinched a little, pulling Amelia close as she clenched her eyes shut and bit down on her bottom lip. His russet eye was filled with sympathy for his lover and the younger boy.

"I'm sorry, Al… I know how much you really hoped today would be the day."

"It's fine!" Al tried to reobtain his prior optimism. "Maybe they'll come in tomorrow!"

Farah closed the paper, folding it under her arm and screwing the lid on the thermos. She handed it to the adolescent, giving a motherly smile before pressing a kiss to his brow.

"I'll be heading back to Miss Nina's now. Try not to stay out too long." Farah said softly.

He felt his cheeks warm, looking away from her smiling eyes. Of course they knew he would stay, even though it was clear Ed and Elora weren't going to show. Amelia pressed a kiss to the honey-blond's cheek as well, before Salinger patted him on the shoulder.

"See you back at the house, friend."

Nodding, Al took a deep breath, watching as the three made their departure through the crowd. Tucking the thermos under his arm, Al moved to sit down on the vacant bench, placing the thermos beside him. His gloved hands gripped the knees of his trousers, his feet angling out as he stared down at his lap.

Soon, the entire station was cleared, leaving only him and the train attendants. Al felt his teeth chatter against the cold, but he refused to leave. Something wrenched inside of him, telling him he had to wait, just a little longer. His eyes closed, feeling the unpleasant warmth burning his eyelids, but he swallowed back the sorrow and tried to keep his positive attitude.

He wasn't about to give up.

_They'll show. I know they will. Ed promised. He said we'd all be together, and we'll go back home… to Resembool, to Winry, to Aunt Pinako… to Rose and Sciezka… to the Colonel and everyone back at Central… he said we'd go home and we'd start our lives over again with our new friends…_

Minutes passed by, and Al started to shiver. The cold was getting to be too much for his body to endure. Standing up, Al brushed the snow off his pants and looked up, only to feel his entire body go rigid. Suddenly, the sound of his heart beat was a deafening thunder in his ears, and he sucked in his breath sharply, the cold air piercing his lungs like icy needles.

Two figures had just slipped out of the luggage cart of the train, crouching down low and creeping away from attendant's eyes. The taller motioned for the smaller figure to dart to the side of the platform first. The figure did, crouching behind it and motioning for the other once the coast was clear.

Al finally felt the air return to his lungs as he heard a voice he hadn't heard in so many days.

"Phew, that was a close one. We almost missed the train."

"I'm glad I told you to stop stuffing your face then, Edward."

His voice was a broken whisper, "B-Brother…"

Al took a step forward as the coated beings stepped up onto the platform, pulling their hoods down to reveal golden blond locks bound in a braid and uneven, choppy ear-length brown locks the color of chestnut. The laughing duo turned to walk, only for their own steps to be halted. Gold irises widened, lips barely parting in a whisper filled with raw emotion that constricted his throat.

"Al…"

"Br…Brother!" Al finally broke free of his immobilization, breaking into a run.

Edward Elric sprung forward, arms outstretched and catching his little brother in them as they collided. Al's arms locked tightly around his brother's neck, the two of them laughing and crying, embracing as if it had been ten years instead of three months. Ed pulled back, cupped Al's face, and then pulled him back in for another tight embrace.

"Don't you ever leave me again, Brother! You're useless without me!" Al shouted through his tears, his body convulsing in silent sobs.

"I won't, Al. Ever. Promise."

Their foreheads met, gold and brown eyes shutting as they laughed softly, happy to have their brotherhood intact once more. Ed was the first to withdraw, inside feeling his soul tremor at the loss of warmth and security he felt with Al in his arms. Taking a step back, Ed grasped Al's shoulder.

"Now, isn't there something you need to do?" Ed whispered, winking.

Al blinked away the remnants of his tears; feeling his cheeks flame as Ed gently pushed him forward. Staggering, the younger Elric caught himself, straightening and immediately colliding with a gaze of swirling blue and violet. Her full peach lips formed a small and shy smile, before they parted.

"Been awhile, my love…"

His eyes softened as he smiled tenderly, "Elora…"

She gave a small laugh, "Hope you can forgive me… I'm a little late…"

"You're here. That's all that matters now…" Al breathed, taking a step closer.

Elora hesitated, stepping closer herself.

Ed sweatdropped, making a face. "Oh, will you two just run into each others arms and kiss already! This is making _me_ anxious!"

Blushing, the two finally smiled before Elora ran forward into Al's arms. He crushed her to him, her familiar scent washing over him and making him dizzy. Al's fingers entwined within the short, dark tresses, his eyes fluttering closed as her warmth wrapped all around him. He felt the rush of tears, but the rush of warmth and finally feeling _complete_ countered them.

"God, I've missed you…"

Elora shivered as his sweet breath tickled her ear, his rich voice like chocolate making her melt in his arms. Her body trembled as she pulled back, gloved hand reaching up to brush against the handsome features of his face as she stared into the beautiful brown eyes that had haunted her. She pulled her hand back, standing on tip-toe, pressing her forehead to his tenderly.

"Alphonse… there's something I've been wanting to tell you…" Elora whispered, her breath hitching slightly. "I'm in love with you."

Al smiled, "I'm glad… because I'm in love with you, Elora Belvidere, and I never want to leave your side ever again."

He stared into her eyes for a moment, before he leaned down and pressed a timid kiss to her lips. Their eyes slid shut; her arms snaking around his neck while his wrapped around her waist, their lips pressing firmer. Elora drew back barely; her savoring the feeling of her beloved's first kiss after being torn apart for so long.

Their eyes opened partway, brown searching vivid blue-violet, before their mouths collided again more heatedly. Elora ran her fingers through the silken honey strands, standing on tip-toe and titling her head to the side. Al's lips parted, hesitantly sliding his tongue across her bottom lip, seeking permission. She granted it, her own lips parting and allowing him to deepen the kiss. Their tongues met in a foreign dance, before Elora submitted to the kiss, allowing him to dominate her mouth and explore it as fire and passion wrapped around them, entwining and burning this one moment to memory.

Alphonse was passion and love and warmth to the young girl. She had never known true love until meeting him, until they were shoved through the hardships and journey of discovering if what they felt was truly love or infatuation and lust.

Love had kept them both able to hold their head up and stand again, even after being broken and beaten down to the point they ached for Death's tender embrace…

Now, they were together again.

Ed snickered, looking away while trying to hide his smirk in his hand, giving the two of them their moment. Only to catch their breath did the two alchemists break apart, pressing their foreheads together and panting, cheeks flushed as they held one another tightly in the snow.

The broken pieces had finally been mended and put back together…

* * *

The manor had never felt so lively. Nina was used to sickness, depression, quiet. Ever since she found Amelia and Salinger, with their love and compassion, she had felt different. She found herself smiling more often, laughing. Actually laughing. She couldn't remember the last time she had done so. And now Archer, Alphonse, and Farah joined them. Nina felt vulnerable, not used to such kindness from strangers, but she was... happy.

Setting the last silver dish out on the table, she stood back and smiled to herself. Her table had never been set for eight before. She checked the time on the old wooden grandfather's clock, seeing that Amelia and the others were late.

"A-Amelia," Archer coughed from behind.

"Archer! What are you doing in here? You should be in be –"

"I'm feeling great. No need for such fuss." Archer said, cheeks blushing.

Nina glared at him, before shaking her head and motioning towards a beautiful silver chair at the front of the dining table.

"Sit." She commanded.

Archer made his was to the table, trying to conceal his limp. Once he was seated, Archer stole a quick observant look around the dining hall. Nina's family must've been wealthy, for even the furniture appeared to be rather expensive. Miko rubbed against his legs, purring like a little freight train before she hopped over to her own dish of food.

Nina glanced at the time once again, trying to conceal her anxiousness and mild concerns. It wasn't like the others to take this long. Just as she was about to head over to the window and peer outside, she heard the door opening.

"Man, it's a blizzard out there!"

Salinger's voice carried through the hall and into the room. They heard the sounds of coats being unzipped and hung in place, Salinger offering to help Amelia with hers, and Farah commenting on the storm that was supposed to hit in the middle of the night. The three appeared, Nina's eyebrows meeting as she realized Al was not with them.

"Al decided to stay a little longer." Amelia explained, smoothing down the ribbed material of her peach sweater.

"Poor guy..." Salinger shook his head, damp blond hair falling around his features. "He looked so heartbroken..."

Archer felt his heart give a painful tug, "They weren't there?"

"Ah, you look much better," Salinger grinned, "And no, they weren't."

"Doesn't mean anything, we've been waiting for a long time. They'll get here." Amelia almost whispered.

"Being depressed isn't going to get them here any faster. Keep your chins up." Nina said, almost coldly.

Salinger and Amelia sat across from Archer at the table, locking their fingers. Amelia rested her head on Salinger's shoulder, letting out a loud sigh. Salinger combed his fingers through her scarlet locks.

"I'm going to wash up." Farah said, leaving the room.

"We'll eat when Alphonse gets back." Nina called down the hall after her.

"Alright," Farah replied.

Archer bit his lip, "That's Farah Shevan, correct?"

"Yes. She's the translator who informed Ed of Elora's illness when they were in Iran." Amelia explained.

Archer took a deep breath, trying to shake the sense of familiarity he felt when it came to the woman. She looked as if she hailed from the desert, but not the Middle East. It was alarming, almost as if she wasn't from this world. He felt the same way around Ed and Al.

"What's for dinner, Nina?" Salinger then asked.

Amelia glared at him, "Manners, Irvine! Or you'll be cuddling with Miko tonight!"

Miko looked up from her food bowl, hissing.

"Rejected by a cat? You really have no luck with women." Amelia rolled her eyes.

Salinger hung his head, "Why me?"

"You had to date a Rosenburg." Archer chuckled, ducking as Amelia tossed a spoon at him, "Anyway to treat a sick person?"

"Someone seems a bit more playful than usual." Salinger raised his eyebrow.

"Dying does that to you."

Just then, the front door creaked open, and a draft strong enough to reach the dining room swept through the manor.

"Al's back!"

They waited for his greeting, but none came. Only heavy footsteps down the hallway. Farah returned from washing up, sitting down in her seat on the other side of Amelia. They glanced at the doorway, waiting for the young Elric's arrival.

Al stepped inside of the room, trying to keep his face straight, but it was difficult to do so. His eyes weren't the cold shade of brown they had gotten used to. Instead they were warm and filled with laughter and dancing in the light.

Al stepped to the side, looking back into the hall, before he reached back. Archer's eyes widened as two familiar beings stepped inside the room, one's hand entwined with Al's.

"Archer!" Elora shouted, her voice piercing the silence as she broke free from Al's hold, and then rushed toward him, throwing her arms around his neck. "I've missed you! Archer!"

"Elora! I-It's really you! I can't...I'm so happy!" Archer exclaimed, ignoring the pain from Elora's grasp.

She withdrew, cupping his face, her fingers running through auburn strands as tears ran down her face. Sobbing, they embraced again, Archer not wanting to let go. After so long, his sister was finally back in his arms.

"Please tell me you're okay! Please! I need to hear you're okay!"

"I'm okay. I'm more than okay!"

Ed laughed, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed. "I thought crying was only supposta happen during sad occasions."

"Shut up, Brother!" Al teased, "You've turned into even more of a jerk without me!"

Ed grabbed his younger brother, tugging him into a headlock and ruffling the short hair. "Oh, as if! You only want that as an excuse to try and get me to behave! Well I'm twenty-years-old, dammit, and I'll do whatever the hell I want!"

Al elbowed him, "Get offa me!"

Nina blinked, looking very confused. "Do all... siblings behave this way?"

Amelia giggled, "Yeah, pretty much. After the tears had stopped, the fighting begins. Just watch, Lor and Arch will start having a debate over something within the next hour."

"Will not – AMELIA!" Elora released Archer and grabbed her sister, embracing her in a tight hug.

Amelia sweatdropped, "I was wondering when I would be recognized as something other than a piece of furniture."

Elora pulled back, staring at her with wide eyes. "What... happened to you? You're different! And oh my gosh, what happened to your hair!"

"Being imprisoned for two months changes a person," Amelia winked. "I'm a little rough around the edges like a certain little brute I know." she tickled the brunette's sides.

Elora squirmed free, hands on her hips. "I've done a lot of growing up, Lia! That's not very fair!"

"I can tell." Amelia giggled, looking at Elora's chest.

"Very funny!"

Salinger averted his eyes before he was either beaten to death by Al, Ed, and Amelia or torched to death by Archer.

"Um, Lia, why are you sitting next to Irvine?"

"He's my boyfriend!" Amelia announced.

Elora face-palmed, "My stalker with my sister. Lovely."

"They're actually scarily perfect for each other. I've been awake for a day and they already act like husband and wife." Archer chuckled.

Elora turned to glare at him, "What do you mean, 'awake'?"

Nina cleared her throat, "We shall all have time to elaborate and answer questions about what occurred during your separations later. As of right now, how about we all sit down and eat?"

Ed looked at her, "Who's the Russian chick?"

"Brother, this is Nina Grusha. She's been housing us and taking care of us. Her father was good friends with Arthur." Al explained.

"N-Nina?" Ed stuttered, his mind returning to that night so long ago.

"This is my house. It's been like an alchemist sanctuary the past month." Nina half grinned.

"W-Well, thank you for your hospitality." Ed said, not looking at the girl.

"Don't think I'm doing this without my own selfish reasoning. I want to go to Amestris as well."

"We'll talk all about this after dinner!" Archer proclaimed.

Ed shut his mouth from having whipped his head back in Nina's direction, eyes flashing dangerously at the words that had come out of her mouth, and immediately an overprotective air had surrounded around him. Instantly, his thoughts had gone to Elora's soul. He stole a glance at where she was now taking a seat beside Archer, her hand grasping the redhead's tightly, looking completely comfortable with what Nina had just said.

It still boggled Ed how Elora could be so at ease, sacrificing her own soul for people she hardly knew.

"What are you staring at, Ed?" a voice whispered from behind him.

"Farah! It's been so long." Ed grinned, embracing the tan female in a hug.

"I have missed you as well. How is she?" Farah asked, motioning toward Elora.

"Better, I suppose..."

Elora sent him a deadly glare, as if silently threatening to harm him if he dare spoke of her condition and ruin the cheery atmosphere. Her hand was still gripping Archer's; Al seated on her other side as close as they could without being in each other's laps. Nina was setting out two more plates, placing Ed's inbetween Farah's and Al's before dinner was served. Ed sat down, looking around the table at all the faces.

It felt so surreal, the happiness and the fact they were finally together again. Everyone had changed in the brief yet long time apart. It was startling to see such a prim and proper young woman such as Amelia without her naiveté and innocent perspective of the world. Salinger seemed stronger, even a little more wise.

Archer looked worse for wear, but he seemed different as well. Far more open, more independent than before just by word and action alone. He also seemed playful, having lost the reserved air that had guarded him zealously from the world and allowed people to see what he was truly thinking.

And Alphonse... his sweet, younger brother seemed less sensitive. He still held his optimism and slightly innocent demeanor, but the young alchemist had truly aged a lot in their time apart, in ways Ed couldn't quite understand just yet.

Nina pulled two bottles of wine out of a large cabinet, "I think it's time for a celebration."

"You still can't have any." Amelia barked at Salinger as he reached for one of the dark green bottles.

Elora burst into a fit of giggles, "Yup! Definitely marriage material! Bwhahaha!"

Salinger and Amelia both shot her a warning glare.

"Oh, come on!" Elora giggled more.

"She's right, you know." Archer smiled, "I wouldn't be surprised if you two had run off and eloped."

Honey and brown eyes shifted away, hot blushes creeping up their necks and staining their cheeks. This only made Elora giggle even harder. Nina sat the bottles down in the middle of the table, before taking her seat beside of Archer. Elora took note that she chose that seat over the other three free ones.

Everyone, except Salinger, filled their glasses with the red liquid, "To finally being together again!" they all toasted.

Elora took a sip and made a face, along with Al. They slid their glasses over to Ed, who snickered about them being children before sipping his wine down. Rolling their eyes, the younger adolescents exchanged shy smiles as they ate their fill of the wonderful meal Nina had prepared.

"So, what's going on between you and our hostess?" Elora whispered as the dinner chatter filled the room, making it hard for anyone to eavesdrop.

Archer felt his face flame, stealing a glance at Nina, who was holding a discussion with Amelia and Farah about men and their actual uses in relationships.

"Shh, Lor! Don't be so rude!"

"I'm your sis! You better spill or else!"

"Nothing is going on, I promise." Archer nodded his head.

"Fine, don't tell me." Elora rolled her eyes. After a few seconds, she looked back at him. "I just... worry about you, Archer. You're still young... and it makes me feel as if you're missing out on something... beautiful... I wish you'd notice girls more."

"Just because I don't fancy every girl I see, doesn't mean that I don't notice them."

"Well if you have taken an interest, I clearly haven't been around." Elora stiffened.

"Come on, the only girls I've ever been around are you and Amelia, it's not as if I've had that many choices."

Elora sighed heavily, "I know... I just feel like I've failed you in the romantic department as your sister. I should've given you flirting advice and the whatnot."

Archer sweatdropped, "As thoughtful as that idea may be, why are we speaking of my non-existent love life at a time like this?"

She stole a glance at Amelia and Salinger, then at Al.

"No reason..."

"My days of being the third wheel are over." Archer chuckled.

"You were never the third wheel."

Archer raised his eyebrow, "Right."

Amelia leaned over to Nina, "Told you they'd be fighting."

"We are not!" Archer and Elora shouted in unison.

Salinger snickered, "Seems like it. Squabbling like a pair of cubs."

Elora pitched a carrot at his head, "Shut up, Lover Boy! Besides, who said I'd be okay with you hitting on my sister, eh? I should beat you!"

"I thought you said she had matured, Edward?" Amelia sweatdropped.

"She has her moments." Ed chuckled.

Elora blushed and settled down, fidgeting in her seat. Laughing softly, Al leaned over and whispered something in her ear, making her squeak and her blush to darken before he pressed a kiss to her cheek. Archer grinned wildly, happy to see the two of them had finally taken that step as something more than friends.

"Finally, right?" Ed said to Archer, motioning to the happy couple.

"I knew they'd get there. Had to grow up a bit, didn't they?" Archer agreed.

"Hey, stop picking on us, okay? We didn't want to take that risk three months ago..." Elora whispered, looking down at her lap.

Al reached over and took her hand, squeezing it tenderly. "We're together now, that's all that matters, okay?"

"Yeah..." Elora smiled back at him.

Amelia squealed, "Aw, you guys are so cute! Just like Irvine and me!"

"Stalker," Elora glared at the blond.

Salinger stuck his tongue out, "Brat."

Ed pitched a roll, it hitting Salinger upside the head hard. "Watch it, Salinger."

"How about everyone stop picking on _me_?" Salinger asked, hanging his head.

"It's okay, darling." Amelia said, kissing his cheek.

"I feel old, with all you teenagers." Farah laughed softly.

"Well, Archer acts as if he's your age, so you aren't that out of place." Ed assured her.

Archer sighed, "Well, at least he's not attacking my sexuality."

"Of course I'm not." Ed said, glancing at Elora.

"Believe it or not, Ed grew up too."

"Seems as if we all have." Archer smiled.

"Seems we have a lot to discuss as well." Nina then said, noticing that everyone had finished dining. "Perhaps we should move to the library then, and settle down."

Everyone agreed, and the party soon moved into the spacious library. Everyone was talking, cheerily so, glad to finally be together, close to their goal. They moved the armchairs and couches in a circle, placing them in the middle of the library. They all found seats, Elora, Alphonse, and Archer on one couch, Nina and Farah sharing the other. Ed sat alone in one of the chairs, while Amelia sat on Salinger's lap in another. The glow of the fire illuminated each of their faces, sitting in a moment of pure silence.

"Alright, I guess it's time to tell everything. We need to get everyone on the same level." Ed said in a commanding voice.

"Who's first?" Elora asked.

"Did you guys get all the stones?" Amelia then asked the one question that had been on most of their thoughts.

Nodding, Al pulled out the leather bag from Archer's coat from his pocket, and Elora pulled out a purple velvet bag herself. Soon, all twelve stones were lined up on a table Ed had moved. The fire reflected on each surface and pane, the stones glowing practically.

"Here, you can put them in this." Nina got up and rifled through a cabinet behind her, and pulled out a large black satchel.

"Thank you." Archer said, taking the satchel from her.

"I think Archer should keep them with him." Ed then announced.

"I agree, he's the most responsible." Elora nodded.

"O-of course."

Archer took each stone and placed them within the black bag, tightening the leather chord around it.

"I want to hear about Brother's journey." Al whispered.

"We'll go first then?" Ed gestured to Elora.

"Sure." She agreed.

Ed cleared his throat, "Well... I guess we start from where we last saw each other... that night in Poland after the auction..."

Ed dove into this story, telling of sleeping in shacks and trudging through the desert. He made sure to skim over the part where he kissed Elora, scared of the reaction it would bring from his brother. He had gotten to Elora falling ill when he stopped.

"He brought her to me. I lied and told him I was a doctor, when I was just a translator." Farah announced.

"You aren't a doctor?" Ed exclaimed.

"No. I'm sorry I lied. I had practiced medicine for my entire youth, but my country would not allow a woman to heal. I took on the translating job so I could be close to medicine."

Ed grinned at her, and she knew she was forgiven, Elora took over from there.

"You saw Teacher?" Salinger interrupted her story.

"Yeah... she told me something..." Elora trailed off.

"That Irvine is her son?" Archer finished.

Salinger jumped, "W-What...?"

"How did you know that?" Elora asked, looking surprised.

"We'll get to my story later."

"I'm... her son?"

"Yes. Arthur is your father as well." Elora frowned.

Salinger looked pale, "I...can't believe it..."

"I'm sorry they never told you..." Elora spoke in a whisper.

"Why? Why did she lie? Right to my face all those years!" Salinger hit his thigh.

Amelia shushed him, wrapping her arms around him and pressing kisses of comfort against his temple. "They did it to protect you, no? From what you told me, Izumi was a woman who constantly had to fight for her freedom."

"Amelia's right. She was protecting you." Ed reached over and patted his shoulder.

Salinger nodded, "I'm okay... just a lot to take in... what happened after you met Farah?"

"We met a little a girl..." Elora began.

She told of Tsura, her innocence and love. She began to get teary when speaking of leaving the young girl, and Ed got up and wrapped his arms around her.

"She's with her family now, and we got the sapphire."

Elora sniffled, "I know... its just hard talking about her. She was... like a daughter to me. I know, it sounds crazy, since I'm only sixteen and I... I'm not a mother but with her... I felt like one."

Al's eyes widened, "Oh my gosh, that's right! You just had your birthday, didn't you?"

Elora jolted, "Ed! My bag!"

"Right!"

Ed ran out of the room, returning a few seconds later with some wrapped parcels. He handed two of them to Archer, who took them with a questioning expression on his face. Another large one was handed to Amelia, and two small ones were handed to Salinger and Al.

Archer opened the paper, smiling as he took in the leather bound journal that Elora had gotten him for his birthday, and the book she had gotten him as well. Amelia gushed over the cute sundress, thanking her sister profusely.

"Irvine, open it."

Salinger bit his lip before he did so, a strange black leather band falling into his lap. It had the same symbol embedded on Archer's journal in white.

"It's a bracelet, silly." Elora puffed out her cheeks at the dumbfounded look on his face.

"Oh!" Salinger put it on, grinning. "Cool, so I'm like part of this Alchemists club now?"

"You can thank Ed for putting the transmutation symbol on the inside." Elora stated, before turning to Al. "You can open your present now. I promise it won't bite you."

"N-No...I can wait until later."

Ed glanced at his brother, knowing the younger boy would wait until he was alone to open it. Sighing, he then cleared his throat, bringing the attention back on him.

"After we returned Tsura to her parents, we made our way out of Thailand and to Japan. After we got the topaz, we headed back to Seoul and started our journey to Moscow..."

"Then we met Al at the station. Everything else you know." Elora finished.

"I want to know what happened to you two!" Ed pointed to Amelia and Irvine, "I was surprised that you guys were even here."

Salinger made a face, "You say that as if I'm completely useless..."

"We didn't know what happened to you guys at all. We only knew Archer and Alphonse were going to Moscow because we got in contact after we were split up." Elora informed him.

"Well, after the fire, Evelyn and Ryan captured us..." Amelia started.

"They took us to their manor, kept us in the dungeon for two months. We were barely given any food, beaten daily. Their servant Finnigan has quite a punch and love of torture." Salinger intervened.

Elora's eyes darkened, "Guy in white, right? Skinny little thing that looks like a cockroach?"

"That's the guy."

"Remind me to kill him if we ever see him again. Continue."

"We thought it was over. They told us that Liam handed us over, and the only reason we were alive was for leverage against you," Salinger pointed at Elora, "I thought we were going to die there, alone, forgotten."

"And then, Izumi came." Amelia piped up.

"She was amazing, so skillful. She had alchemy, real alchemy! After all her talk of how awful it was, she really had it."

"How did she come to you?" Archer asked softly.

"A vortex..." Salinger said. "I think it was made of alchemy. When we went through, I felt like I was swept up in a tornado."

"Elemental alchemy. She displayed it before Ed and myself." Elora explained.

"Yes...I figured so..." Salinger trailed off, not being able to utter his next words.

"What happened?" Elora asked, anxious.

"Teacher's dead."

"W-what?" Elora asked, placing her hand over her mouth, "What are you talking about? Don't joke, Irvine."

He jerked his head up, "Why would I joke about such a thing, Elora! She was my mother, even if she never told me she was my real one! Dammit!"

"No, this can't be!" Elora broke into tears, and placed her head on her now drawn legs, "She can't be gone. Not her! Dammit!"

Al slipped his arms around her, pulling her into his lap, cradling her frame against his chest and rocking her close. He felt the ghost of grief as he thought of his own Teacher, also passed and gone through the Gate.

"She sacrificed herself to protect her child." Nina said softly, "Grieve for her, but do not delude yourself into believing she still lives on."

"We were found by Nina after Teacher saved us." Salinger finished, not looking at anyone.

"T-Thank you," Elora sniffled.

Nina nodded.

"I guess it's our turn now." Al spoke up.

Archer looked down, "Why don't you tell them, Alphonse? I'm feeling a bit dizzy..."

"Of course my friend," Alphonse nodded, "After you guys got on the wrong train, me and Archer took a boat to South America, it took almost a month, and we didn't want to go through that again..."

Al explained how Archer discovered the location of the Dragon's Heart, and how he accidentally found out he could talk to Elora and Edward through fire. He explained their long trip; hiking up mountains and sleeping in foreign caves.

"Archer almost died retrieving one of the stones, the hill collapsed right on top of him."

"Let's not give Elora a heart attack." Archer laughed.

Elora was staring at him, "I swear in the name of alchemy, if either one of you did something reckless, I'm beating you both!"

"Alphonse almost drowned." Archer looked at her wide-eyed.

"What? You two were being stupid, weren't you?" She glared.

"We had to get the stones, Lor!"

"Doesn't mean you had to nearly kill yourself doing it!"

"Look at you!" Al snapped, "Farah told me about how you were brought into the hospital, half-dead, covered in blood!"

Elora quickly closed her mouth.

"So what happened next?" Farah asked, curious.

"Well..."

Alphonse explained why he had almost drowned, and all the details in between. He made sure not to talk about the fight he and Archer had, it wasn't worth bringing up.

"I thought... that I could teleport us by fire..." Archer cut in.

"Archer, you didn't!" Elora gasped.

"He was in a coma for three weeks." Farah informed her.

"Archer... Archer, why would you do that?" Elora cried, reaching out to wrap her arms around him. "Don't scare me like that ever again, please! I can't bare to lose you! You're my brother!"

"I didn't know what would happen. I'm sorry Elora." Archer returned the embrace.

"That's when I met Farah, she watched over him as I retrieved the last stone. She's been so helpful. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't have lived." Al smiled at the dark skinned woman.

Elora almost ran around the table to pull Farah into a tight hug, "Thank you so much."

Farah smiled, "I feel honored that I was able to look after the young prodigies Rupert spoke of."

"My father..." Nina whispered.

"Yes, Nina, it's been wonderful to see you again. I'm sorry for what has happened."

"It's in the past." Nina shook her head.

"Anyways, we traveled in the snow for two weeks to get here. I thought Archer was going to die, and he would have if Amelia, Salinger, and Nina hadn't found us." Alphonse said, finishing his story.

Nina looked around the room at each of their faces, "And so, the fellowship has been made. Several journeys were taken to arrive at this point. All of the twelve have been gathered, and all that remains is the Dragon's Heart. Now... the question I need to ask. Do you still intend on completing the philosopher's stone and returning to Amestris?"

"Ah, but there is one story that hasn't been told just yet, Nina." Archer interrupted.

"What do you mean, Archer? Who?" Salinger asked for everyone.

"My own. S-Something happened when I fell unconscious..." Archer trailed off.

Vivid green eyes locked on him, shimmering in emotions he did not comprehend. Instead of accusing him of lying to her, Nina simply crossed her leg and watched him closely.

Elora gripped his shoulder, "What is it, Archer? What happened?"

"I went to the gate." He said bluntly.

"What? How?" Ed asked, raising himself up.

"I died in a sense. My bonds to Elora, Al, and yourself are what kept me alive." He said to Ed.

The group went completely silent.

"What is the gate?" Nina asked.

Ed was quiet before explaining, "The gateway between this world and the next, where all souls pass through... where Equivalent Exchange is determined. I've been to the gate myself. The first time was when we..." He gripped his automail arm, "when we tried to bring Mom back. I lost my leg and they took Al's body... I sacrificed my arm to attach his soul to a suit of armor. The second time I went to the gate was when I first came to this world. The other Ed died and I was able to go back through. The third time I went through was when I brought Al back. Two years later, the gate was opened by Eckart using me... and Mustang destroyed the gate on their side, and Al and I destroyed it on ours."

Archer took a shaky breath, "I found myself at the gate... and Arthur was there – waiting for me."

Elora let out a light scream in surprise, "You saw... Arthur?"

"He told me many things, explained so much."

Archer began describing every detail of what happened between him and the departed alchemist. Telling of Arthur's childhood, the alchemy text, leaving Eckart's gang, telling Rupert to look out for himself and the others, and the pain of giving up his son. He explained to Irvine why his mother never told him who she was, and began to tear up when he got to the goodbye.

"He told me I would never see him again..." Archer choked.

Before Elora or anyone else could move, Nina crossed the room, and surprised many by drawing Archer into a tight embrace. His body went rigid, stunned by not only her actions, but by how quickly his heart began to race the moment they made physical contact. It was like an electric current hit every nerve of his body.

"Death is a part of life, and we must learn to accept it. I am sorry that you had to relive the loss of your 'father' twice." she whispered in his ear.

"T-thank you..." he stuttered back, crimson blush crossing his features.

Nina returned to her seat, and the group fell into silence once more.

"So... the question still remains... will you finish the journey you set out on half a year ago?" Nina then inquired, breaking the silence.

Even Ed hesitated to answer, them taking a moment to revaluate everything that had happened, everything they had learned, everything they had sacrificed and almost lost, and the pain they had felt upon being separated.

"...I'm going." Elora was the first to speak. "I'm going to find the Dragon's Heart, and I'm going to sacrifice my soul in order to complete the neo-philosopher's stone in order to open the gate and take us all to Amestris."

"I'm ready to go home." Ed announced.

"Me as well." Archer agreed.

Al sniffed, "Me too! I want to go home!"

"I will go anywhere Elora goes. I have no more family here." Amelia smiled at her sister.

"Don't think I'm going to let you all leave me behind!" Salinger rolled his eyes.

Ed sweatdropped and muttered, "Wouldn't dream of it."

"What about you Farah, what are your plans?" Archer asked the older female.

Farah was quiet for a long moment before finally speaking, "I wish to go to Amestris with you, where my abilities can be used to assist lives."

"That makes it unanimous. We're going. We leave for the Caucasus Mountains in two days." Archer announced, "Do you know where they are Nina?"

Nina glanced at him and smiled, "Of course. I do live in Russia." Standing up, the blond gestured to the group. "It is late, and you all look weary. I believe we should all turn in for the evening."

Salinger glanced at Amelia, "Do I still have to cuddle with Miko tonight or do I get my beautiful cuddle buddy?"

Miko hissed loudly from Nina's arms, having leapt into them as the Russian went to leave the library. Laughing, Amelia ducked down to kiss Salinger's brow. "You're sleeping with me tonight, love."

"I think... I'm going to vomit." Elora blanched.

Nina turned, "That reminds me... would you be seeking your own room, or would you like to share with Alphonse, Elora?"

"Her own room." Archer and Ed both said in unison.

Al and Elora sweatdropped, "What are you, her parents?" Al muttered, pouting a bit.

Ed grabbed his brother's collar, "Don't think you can grow up and get all cheeky with me, Al! You're bunkin' with me."

"Very well then... right this way, Elora. If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your room."

Elora sighed, pressing a brief kiss to Archer's cheek. "Sleep well, Brother."

Archer jumped, taken aback by the affectionate actions. "Um... goodnight, Elora."

"Night, Ed!"

Elora hugged him, catching the others off-guard, before she rushed over to Al and kissed him full on the lips, then darted out of the library, following Nina.

"...Awkward." Salinger said, making Al throw a pillow at his face. "This has got to stop." Salinger sighed.

Amelia grabbed his arm, "Come on..."

Ed rolled his eyes as Salinger was led out of the room like a lovesick puppy, "Oh, like he can really complain! I mean, come off it! He's sleeping with like one of the most gorgeous girls in this house."

"Who's the prettiest then?" Al teased.

"That's easy. Farah." Ed replied, as Archer said softly to himself. "Nina..."

Al sweatdropped, "Well, you guys have your own taste. My choice is always will be –"

"Elora!" the other two shouted, tossing pillows at him.

"Well, obviously!" Al laughed.

"This has been... sincerely awkward. Good night Archer and Elrics." Farah said, leaving the room.

"Oh yeah, she was still in here." Ed sweatdropped.

Al collapsed, laughing hysterically and rolling all over the floor as Archer snickered.

"What's so funny?" Nina's voice rang as she re-entered the room.

"Nothing!" All three said, not looking at the blond.

Elora came back into the room, "Boy talk. Just don't ask. You'll either end up traumatized for life or even more lost."

"All I've ever had is 'boy talk'. I was raised alone by my father." Nina said, almost jokingly.

"Then have fun! I'm gonna go pass out... in a real bed!" Elora left the room and then called a moment later, "Oh-my-gosh, Ed, you have to come here and feel this thing! I think it's the softest bed I've ever seen!"

"Whoa, seriously! Lemme see!" Ed went running out of the room like a boy whose favorite toy was found.

"I need to go chaperone this." Al said, quickly following the two.

Nina and Archer were left alone, both looking at the floor, not talking.

"I guess you are... going to bed then?" Nina asked, leaning away from the hall.

"I've had enough rest for a lifetime. I'm not feeling very tired."

"Liar. It's not smart to ignore exhaustion after going through what you did."

Archer stiffened, but instead of feeling angry at her blunt statement, he felt guilty for trying to deceive her. Cursing silently, Archer finally brought his gray eyes to Nina's, trying desperately to figure out what was wrong with him. Why was he feeling so different solely around Nina?

"You sure you don't want to turn in? I could help you to your room."

Archer sighed, "Bed actually does sound nice..."

Nina smiled, before she held out her hand. Fighting back his blush, the redhead grasped it, allowing her to steer him out of the library and down the maze like corridor back to his room.

**

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ETP: 29 pages later… and this chapter is finished!

**PK: O_O**

**ETP: _ Review…please… *collapses***


	19. Chapter 19

**ETP: Much thanks to our 50****th**** reviewer, a y e s i s! Your review made our day! :D **

**PK: Now onto chapter 19!**

**Disclaimer: We do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor will we ever.**

* * *

Chapter XIX

Doubt and Trust

Archer slid a large knife into his coat pocket, checking himself to make sure that he hadn't left anything behind. They weren't going to return here, and it was imperative that they all took the greatest care in preparing. He had healed wonderfully in the past two days, especially with Farah and Nina's help, although he still felt a tad weak. He brushed it off, forcing himself to gather his wits and strength.

They mustn't fail. The Caucasus Mountains were relatively close, and he felt good about what was to come. If everything went as planned, they would be in Amestris in three days tops.

Placing his trusty alchemy text and the two books Elora had given him in his inside pocket; he slipped on his glasses and headed out into the hall. Everyone was waiting in the living room, all packed up and ready for their journey. Archer smiled to himself; it was strange to have the party triple in size.

"All ready?" Elora called to him.

"Yes. Sorry it took me so long." he answered back.

Archer stepped down the large flight of stairs and joined the others.

"No bother, Amelia just finished packing seconds before you did." Elora glanced back at her sister.

Amelia gave a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of her head before she turned away, blushing at the stares she was receiving. It was apparent the redhead was still adjusting to the life of a traveler, despite how much she had changed personality-wise. Ed was leaning against the window sill, staring out at the blanket of white, waiting for the last minute preparations to be finished.

Archer watched as Elora left his side and approached the older male, lightly touching his arm. Ed glanced down at her, and they exchanged a soft murmur of words, before Elora rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes with a small nod, as if she was trying to reassure him of something. Archer stole a glance at Al, fearing the reaction from the younger Elric, but was surprised to see no envy reflected in his brown gaze. Instead, Al was watching the moment almost tenderly.

"Archer... how are you feeling this morning?"

He turned, gray eyes locking on emerald as Nina stepped closer to him.

"Excellent. Best I've felt in a month." He grinned and lightly patted Nina on her shoulder, before quickly blushing.

"You're telling the truth today." Nina said with a small smirk.

"I always tell the truth."

Nina rolled her eyes at him, before turning to talk to Farah. Archer let his eyes drift to her for a few seconds more than necessary, catching the attention of Elora. She stepped away from Ed, squeezing his shoulder before returning back to her adopted brother's side. Archer silently cursed and tried to hide the twinge of fear and exposure he felt. Her blue-violet eyes narrowed, a smirk playing across her face as she crossed her arms.

"Archer, may I have a word with you in the hall?"

"Um, sure," the bookworm said, before he sat his traveling pack on the floor and followed Elora into the hall.

The moment they were far from hearing distance of the living room, Elora backed Archer against the wall with a hand on her hip, and her finger lightly poking his chest.

"You like Nina."

It was a statement, not a question.

"I've known her for three days, Elora."

"Archer, everyone's love story is different. Love can hit you when you least expect it. It's really obvious you find her attractive, plus she's really intelligent and she's a very forward person... that's something you've always respected in others. You like Nina, and it's okay to like her."

"I have an interest in Nina that could develop into 'like', but right now I don't know enough about her to be sure." Archer said nervously.

"Are you saying this because you're scared that you're developing an emotional attachment to someone other than a friend or companion?" Elora crossed her arms and stepped back, turning to the side and rocking on the balls of her feet. She opened one eye, peering at him from under chestnut strands. "It doesn't matter that you've only known her for three days. The way you two talk, it's as if you've known each other for centuries..."

"I'm saying this because it is what I mean." Archer said sternly.

He turned to leave, and felt a tug on his arm.

"Don't be afraid of getting hurt, people aren't all bad."

"I'll keep that in mind." Archer promised.

Elora pulled him into a tight hug, hiding her face into his shoulder. "You seem... happier when she's around. Like the moment she walks into the room, all's right with your world. I haven't seen you this happy since Arthur was alive... it's nice, seeing you happy..."

"It's nice being happy." he whispered.

She pulled back, gripping his shoulders, and just looked up into his eyes for a few moments.

"Hey! You two! We're leaving!" Salinger called up from downstairs.

"...Irvine." Elora face-palmed.

Archer grabbed her wrist as she went to leave, "Elora, wait! I just recalled something Arthur told me, about your disease!"

"My...disease? What do you mean?" Elora looked frightened.

"He told me that your disease was brought upon by being a human of earth who gained alchemy. Izumi and Nina's father also had it. Any human who tries to gain alchemy from an Amestrian will contract it."

Her eyes searched his, blue and violet irises swirling as her pupils widened.

"Is... is there a cure? Or will I die?"

"He didn't say. He had made a remedy that he had given the three of you. It prolonged the effects of the disease. If he could do that here on Earth, there is a huge possibility that it can be cured in Amestris."

"That's what Farah told me when she examined me last night... I haven't told Al that it could be fatal. I think he already suspects though, due to my lack of appetite and my sleep patterns."

Archer looked down, "El, I need you to promise me you'll fight it. Don't just give up and die. We've come too far for something like this to ruin our dreams..."

"I'm not going anywhere, my friend." Elora gave a positive smile, "I'm a lot stronger, even if my organs like to disagree."

"I'm happy for that." Archer grinned.

"Hello! We've been waiting for ages!" Salinger yelled.

"Remind me to kick his ass later." Elora glared.

"Salinger, if you don't shut your ass up, I'm going to kick it!" Ed snarled.

"I think Ed has you covered." Archer chuckled.

Elora smiled, hugging herself as she went to leave. Archer touched her shoulder.

"Elora, may I ask you something... personal?"

She glanced over her shoulder at him, "Of course you can."

"Did anything... romantic occur between... Edward and you?"

Her cheeks stained red before she looked away, "Both times were accidents. Please don't tell Alphonse. I don't want to be the cause of a rift between Ed and him. Ed loves Winry, and I love Al. That's how it should be and will be. End of story, okay?"

"...Of course. My lips are sealed. Just try not to have anymore accidents."

"Wasn't planning on it."

They both laughed, and locked arms as they made their way down to the others.

Salinger rolled his eye, "About time. I think I've aged ten years."

"Oh my gosh, how in the world is _that_ the offspring of Arthur and Teacher?" Elora groaned.

"Hey! I'm just as capable as them! Heck, I think _I_ should be able to have alchemy as well. Both my parents did!" he retorted.

"No." Elora hissed back.

"Come on! I don't see why I can't."

"No!" Elora, Ed, and Al all shouted.

"Fine! But when you're all in a bind and you need _me_ to save you, you'll regret not giving me alchemy. I'd be no match against Evelyn." Salinger pouted.

Amelia grabbed his collar, "If you don't shut up, I swear, I'm going to end up very alone and have to marry some Amestrian alchemist. I want my pretty blond babies, so stop being a stubborn dork and be quiet."

"Yes, dear." Salinger frowned.

"Are we good to go? Salinger done now? Great." Ed swung open the front door and the cold air of morning seeped in.

Several flinched from the cold, before Al patted Nina on the shoulder. "Have fun leading us!"

She smirked, "This is warm to me."

Al backed off from the other blond, "Scary."

"Before we leave, I'm going to ask everyone again if they are certain that this is what they want to do." Nina turned to look at them all.

She had an almost worried look in her eyes.

"Yes, we're sure." Ed answered.

Elora stepped forward, "Nina, you deserve to go to Amestris as much as any of us do. I don't mind sacrificing my soul for you. You're also my friend, even if we haven't been friends as long as I have been with the others. I owe you so much, especially for taking in my sister and my brother... I owe you. No one has any doubts, and we trust you to lead us safely through the mountain pass and to the Dragon's Heart."

Nina grimaced and looked out into the cold, when she turned back she almost looked angry, "Alright, let's go."

She stepped out into the snow. Archer was the next to follow, not hesitating in his actions. Ed followed shortly after, with Al and Elora right beside him. Farah followed the Elrics stead, with Salinger and Amelia covering the rear.

"Which way?" Ed called to Nina.

"Northeast, we'll arrive at the actual mountain in a day. Climbing it and finding the right cave will take much longer." Nina answered back.

Ed nodded, and tightened his hood around his face, protecting it from the cold piercing air.

"Brother?" Al said, the moment they were close enough. "Do you think we're doing the right thing?"

"What d'ya mean?"

"Do you think... creating the neo-philosopher's stone right now is such a good idea? What if Evelyn shows up? She could..."

"If Evelyn shows up we'll fight back. There are eight of us and one of her."

"Don't forget Rosenburg, Finnigan, and any other lackeys she may have working for her." Elora piped up.

"We're just lucky that Teacher killed Ryan for us." Salinger joined the conversation.

Elora quickly looked away from him, the pain of losing Izumi still burning deep within her.

"Finnigan is small stuff, and Rosenburg is too pampered to be any sort of threat." Ed mused.

Amelia cleared her throat, "We shouldn't take my father lightly. He was in the war."

"Fine, three against eight is still great odds." Ed tried to remain hopeful.

"Anyways, four of us can do alchemy, and only one of them can." Al agreed.

Elora grinned, feeling the alchemic power flowing through her. It had returned at full force the moment she had reached Russia. As they neared some fallen trees, Elora got an idea.

"Hey, Nina!"

"Yes?" Nina answered.

"How about we make some sleds with alchemy?"

Ed snickered, "Yeah, Salinger can be our mutt."

"You guys are asses!" Salinger snapped.

"They're only joking, dear." Amelia consoled him.

Nina nodded her head, agreeing that sleds would be the best idea. Ed took the initiative and in a small burst of light turned his automail into a blade. He swiftly cut down a few trees and lined them up together. Elora went to make them into multiple sleds when Archer held her back.

"Not the best idea when your disease is connected to your alchemy." He whispered into her ear, "You shouldn't use it unless it's necessary."

Elora's face was crestfallen, her lip quivering as she looked at her hands. "A-Alright..." she looked down and stepped back, allowing Archer and Al to step forward. Farah wrapped an arm around her, consoling the young girl as the sleds were made. Pieces of bark where transmuted into leather to help steer the sleds.

"Alright, four sleds, eight people. Pair up." Ed announced.

Al and Elora took the first sled; Elora sat in front and pulled the straps close to her chest. She sat in the vee of Al's legs, feeling his hands gripping her shoulders tenderly and as he held her against his chest. Ed and Farah took the next, while Amelia and Irvine took the third, leaving Nina and Archer with the fourth.

"It's a slope from here for about a mile. Make sure to keep each other in sight, getting lost will just complicate things for the others," Nina glanced at Salinger, "After that it's flat ground for ten miles, we should reach the base of the mountain by nightfall."

"Right!" the group chorused.

* * *

"Want me to take over?" Al asked over the howl of the wind.

"No, I got it!" Elora said, her tone a little sharper than intended.

She felt useless as it was, not being allowed to perform alchemy. She knew Archer had only her well being at heart, but telling her not to help out and to not do alchemy felt like a knife had been driven straight through her chest.

"Sorry." Al said shortly.

"No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap..."

He rubbed her back gently through the layers of cloth, "What's wrong, Lor?"

"I'm... frustrated! I can't seem to do anything anymore without somebody fawning over me!"

"They're just worried."

"I know, alright, I know they're worried. But I'm strong! I can handle myself."

"Of course you can, but that doesn't mean people aren't going to be worried. Getting upset isn't going to make them worry less; it'll probably make them worry more."

She sighed deeply, "I understand... I'm still human though. I still want to be able to make my own decisions, but how can I when all of them will make somebody upset? What if they hurt you? I've spent too many years only caring about myself and being selfish."

"Is that why you want to sacrifice your soul...?"

"What's good a soul anyway? All it does is pass judgment on you when you die." Elora leaned back and smiled at him, "I'll be fine, Al. I promise. Right now, you're our priority. You're the only Amestrian alchemist here that doesn't have blood stained on your hands. You're the only one who can retrieve the Dragon's Heart."

"A soul isn't something you can just throw away and forget about. If it wasn't for my soul I would have never been bound to that armor, and I would have died." Al said, slightly cold.

"I'm not throwing it away – at least – not all of it. I will always have a portion of my soul, that's all that matters."

His hold on her tightened as she gave a sharp turn, trying to keep Ed and Farah in sight.

"Elora, what if there was another way! Why do you have to sacrifice something so precious for us!"

"Alphonse, we went over this when we started our journey! I can't just sit back and watch you three remain trapped in this world! Yes, Amestris may be filled with war and strife, death and pain too, but it's still your home! Too many nights did I hold Ed as he cried himself to sleep, wanting to be back home with Winry and you! You _have_ to go back! Staying here isn't an option!"

"I know that! I've always known that! I just – I'm afraid of what will happen to you!"

"Nothing will happen to me! I'm going to be the same person there that I am here!"

"And you're sure about that?" Al said, tightening his grip on her as they drifted over a bump.

"You're my family..."

Al's face went a deep red, and he buried his face into her shoulder, "Alright, I trust you."

"Al... in case anything happens... you should know that every single second we were apart... I missed you and I love you."

"And the same with me. I drove myself crazy over you. Nothing is going to tear us apart this time."

"Thanatos, the Fates, not even Father Time will wedge their way between us!" Elora grinned as they soared through the air. She cheered, landing slightly ahead of Ed and hitting him in the face with a spray of snow. "Haha! Take that, Eddy!"

"I'll get you!" Ed shouted, leaning forward.

Elora turned back and smiled.

Everything was going to be alright.

* * *

Ed jerked the leather straps tightly, Farah giving a small scream as he launched the sled over a small hill so he could try and catch up with his brother. His face was stinging from the assault of snow that had hit him square in the face, the blond was seeing red. Revenge would definitely be sweet, that is if he could catch up close enough to deliver it.

"Slow down, Ed!"

"I've got to catch up to them!" Ed ignored Farah's warning and leaned even more forward.

Farah latched on tight to his shirt, hands trembling in fear. He pulled tighter on the straps, wanting to gain as much power over the small block of wood as possible. The thread began to snap, and the leather broke away from the wood. Ed fell back on top of Farah, both face-planting into the snow. They rolled over top of each other, tumbling quickly down the hill.

Nina and Archer managed to pull their sled over to the side, narrowly evading the two and coming to a stop. Archer scrambled off his sled, rushing to Farah's side to help her up. She was giving Ed a very stern and motherly glare.

"Edward, please refrain from anymore childish and idiotic acts. We are trying to save time, not add to it." Nina stated, as Ed wiped the snow off his face.

"I'll be taking over the steering. You no longer need to worry." Farah apologized to Nina.

"Hey! It was an honest mistake!" Ed fumed.

Al and Elora had stopped a little ways away, the younger brother standing up and calling through his cupped hands, "Hey, Ed, better stop playing in the snow! We're kind of in a hurry!"

"Why you – ! AL, YOU BETTER HOPE I DON'T GET MY HANDS ON YOU!"

Al squeaked and quickly sat back down, Elora and him taking off.

"If we don't get going, Irvine and Amelia will catch up to us, and that would be sad." Archer informed the group. He and Nina returned to their sled and sped off down the hill after Elora and Al.

Ed leaned down and quickly restored the leather strap, before taking his seat behind Farah. He awkwardly placed his arms around her waist.

"Grow up." she muttered.

Ed sighed and grabbed her shawl.

This was going to be a very long and very awkward journey.

* * *

"Irvine, I can't even see them anymore!" Amelia huffed.

"We'll get there when we get there!" Salinger moaned.

He grabbed the reigns and tried to push forward as hard as he could, but the sled stayed at the same speed.

"I'm beginning to think that they did this on purpose." he cried, getting agitated with the slow sled.

"Nonsense." Amelia waved it off, "We're just slow."

The couple hung tight and propelled themselves forward, pushing with their legs.

"Everyone else has an alchemy partner, I'm sure they're cheating."

"Irvine, please stop whining... ever since Ed showed back up, you've been such a baby."

Salinger cringed and sighed, "I'm... envious of him. He's so strong and manages to always pull through. I can't seem to do anything right anymore..."

"That's not true. You've done a lot, and I see it. That's why I love you, because even when the odds are against you, you still try. You're stubborn... just like Izumi."

"...Thank you. It means a lot." Salinger started to smile, and Amelia snuggled against his back. "We'll get there when we get there."

* * *

Nina and Archer sped off down the hill, leaving Farah and Ed to their broken sled, Nina kept a firm grip on the red haired alchemist, nuzzling her face into his back to prevent anything from getting into her eyes.

"We're almost to the bottom." Archer leaned his head back to tell her.

"Alphonse and Elora already down there?" she asked.

"Yeah." Archer said awkwardly, wishing he had better conversational skills.

The duo went quiet, both concentrating on getting to the bottom of the hill. Archer's hand were beginning to freeze, the gloves he was wearing damp with snow. He snapped his fingers, and a small flame danced around his palms, warming them up instantly.

"I haven't done fire alchemy in almost a month. Strange really, I've been kind of scared too these past few days."

"No need for fear, Archer, as long as you don't try to travel by fire, you'll be fine." Nina informed him, rubbing his arm.

"I know that. But when it happened, when I traveled, I could feel the fire burning me. I was in so much pain, but when I awoke, my skin was as it had been before."

"Your fire won't burn you, it was a result of elemental transportation only. My father spoke to me of it when he was well enough to speak." Nina consoled him.

"I've been so foolish Nina. If I had only listened to Arthur that day when he was explaining it, I would have never attempted to do it. I'm supposed to be the intelligent one."

She gripped his shoulder, propping her chin on it. "Archer, listen to me. You were simply thinking of an alternate route in order to race against time. You are intelligent - one of the most intelligent people I have ever come to know - and you didn't make a mistake in using your gift. What you did was... amazing and incredibly selfless. You were only thinking of Alphonse and of getting back to Europe as quickly as possible."

Archer closed his eyes and shook his head, "You're right. No time to doubt myself now, I can't let the others down."

"You can't let yourself down, either. Remember, you're important as well..." Nina whispered against his ear, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

His warmth and scent were comforting, almost.

Archer was silent, he didn't respond. His thoughts were bouncing around, incoherent at times. He couldn't let himself fall now, when everything was about to be resolved, when he was finally going to go home.

He pulled tight on the straps, and scooted the sled sideways, coming to halt at the bottom of the hill. Elora and Al were already there waiting for them.

"Now to wait." Elora said, helping him up.

Farah and Ed appeared shortly after, Ed hopping off while the sled was still in motion and landing in a crouch beside Elora. Before she could move, he took a handful of snow and shoved it down her back. She howled and jumped, before chasing him around the group a few times. Farah sighed deeply, shaking her head while Nina rubbed her temple. By the time Ed was using his brother as a human shield, and Elora was trying to stab him with a tree branch, Amelia and Salinger arrived.

"Great, we're all here." Nina sighed, glancing at Ed who had been pinned to the ground by Al and Elora, "From here on out it's a ten mile trek north. The less fooling around, the faster we get to the mountain."

Al and Elora quickly released Ed and looked away innocently.

"Should we tie a line around our waists to make sure we don't get separated?" Amelia then asked, pulling some rope out of her bag.

"Perfect idea," Nina smiled at her and grabbed the rope, tying it around her waist, "I'll be in front, everyone fall behind."

Archer immediately tied himself behind Nina.

"Who saw that coming?" Elora whispered to herself, as she tied the rope around her waist, positioning herself behind Archer.

Al tied himself after her, chuckling. "And who saw that? You're attached to his hip!" he teased.

Elora glared at him, "Better watch it, Al, or you won't get to hold my hand when you're scared!"

"H-hey! I won't be scared!"

Elora rolled her eyes and turned back around. Ed tied himself to Al, while Amelia tied herself to him. Irvine to Amelia, and Farah to Irvine. Once everyone was secure, Nina turned to the group.

"It gets dangerous the farther we go, I warn you to take this place seriously."

The group nodded, all feeling a tad queasy, and set off into the freezing white, their last journey towards home.

* * *

Through blistering winds and blinding snow, the group trekked. After an incident with a frozen lake and Farah, Salinger, and Amelia nearly falling in, the group walked as close together as possible and grasped hands. Nina led the way through the mountains, staying silent for the most part. Her green eyes were distant behind her goggles, as if she was lost in a memory, hearing directions spoken to her in a whisper only she heard.

The wind danced around the group, making the falling snow twirl. The cold burned their faces, froze their hands and feet, but they ventured through it. The atmosphere was ominous. Half the time they felt as if they were being watched, followed even. Their thoughts flickered to Evelyn, hoping that she hadn't found them, hoping that they could make it out of this without facing danger.

They had walked for a day, and their reward was the mountain. It towered over them, thousands of feet into the air, casting a dark shadow over their group.

"Nina, we can't stay out here much longer!" Al shouted over the wind. "Elora can't take it!"

"I'm fine, Al -" she was cut off by violent coughing, hunching over and blood spraying the snow, staining it scarlet.

"Dammit!" Nina cried, searching the mountain for a possible cave, "There! We can stay in there!"

She pointed to a small cave that was nestled in the mountain twenty feet above them.

"I'm not sure if she can climb that!" Al said desperately.

Ed shoved his brother to the side, cutting the rope connecting Elora to the rest of the group. "I'll carry her on my back! C'mon, we need out of this snow, _now_!"

Nina nodded her head and began her hike up the mountain, showing the others were to climb and which rocks not step on. She finally made it to the cave, and peered down at the others. Archer was close behind her, with Ed not far from him, Elora resting silently against his back. The other four were lagging behind, but doing a good job not to fall.

Archer joined her in the cave, and quickly darted inside, conjuring up a nice fire to warm and light the dark space. Ed was the third to arrive, panting and resting Elora against the wall, tearing off his glove with his teeth and checking her pulse. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was heavy, but other than that she seemed okay. He wiped the blood off her chin and the corner of her mouth.

"Is she alright?" Nina asked, as Archer helped tug Al inside.

"I said I'm fine..." Elora replied, opening her eyes.

Nina ignored her. She scooped a large mound of snow into a pan she has brought in her bag. Melting it over the fire, and heating it up, she dipped a cloth into the hot liquid, and placed the rag against Elora's forehead.

"You need to stay warm, this rag needs to be reheated every ten minutes."

Elora glared at the blond female, "Nina, I'm not a child. I'm fine!"

"I'm not treating you as a child, but you're doing a good job at acting like one."

"It's not childish to accept help, Elora." Archer reminded her.

"You know what, I don't care at this point! If I'm acting like a child because I don't want us taking precious time doting on me, so be it!" Elora threw the rag at the wall and got to her feet, "I'm going on ahead!"

"To where exactly? We don't even know where this damn thing is, and you going out into the cold on your own will only make things slower!" Nina called back to her.

Elora snatched a branch from the fire, using it as a torch and storming on forward. Al sent a nervous look back at the others, before he took off after the fuming brunette. Ed sweatdropped, grumbling under his breath.

Farah brushed the snow off her shoulders, "Well, that was an unexpected development."

"She is so stubborn." Salinger sighed.

"We really don't have any idea how to find this thing." Archer admitted, "All I've gathered from the alchemy text is that after we get the stone, we need to go to Stone Henge to perform the gate summoning."

"GUYS!"

They looked back up, seeing Al was rushing back to the group from where he had disappeared deeper into the cave. His eyes were frantic.

"What is it, Al?" Ed called.

"Elora's acting really weird!"

"When is she not?" Amelia sweatdropped.

Al made a face, "Guys, I'm serious! C'mon!"

The group hurried after the alchemist, him leading them through the twisting cave. It opened up more, the walls looking almost green, covered in ice and snow with many levels and swirling upward. Elora was standing on the edge of the cave path, overlooking where it would appear they would need to jump down or climb up to move on further.

Suddenly, Ed, Al, and Archer felt a strange shiver envelop around them. A strange sensation that wrapped around their entire bodies, making the air around them crack and sizzle. Swallowing hard, Ed met Archer's eyes for a moment.

"Feels like... alchemy."

"It's close. I can feel it." Elora whispered, looking back with her eyes smiling. "Pure alchemic energy, in a crystallized form, only to be grasped by an Amestrian alchemist pure of heart. It's close!"

"If it was this easy to find, why hasn't no one stumbled on it yet!" Archer asked, looking around.

"Amestrian alchemist, Archer."

Nina was quiet, "Keep in mind, Arthur was the only Amestrian alchemist I knew of until I met you three."

"This cave would have probably not even showed itself if it wasn't for Ed, Alphonse, and yourself." Farah mused out loud.

"We're so close..." Elora breathed, before she whirled around and threw her arms around Al's neck. "Are you ready to find it, love?"

Al blushed and bit his lip, "Yeah... I'm the only one who can retrieve it."

A large roar echoed inside the cave, a giant cracking sound reached the groups ears. The tumbling of hundreds of rocks bounced off the caverns walls. They swiftly turned around; the entrance had sealed itself shut.

"Dammit!" Ed yelled.

"This cave acts as if it's almost... self aware." Farah chewed her lip.

Elora turned to the group, a strange sparkle in her eye, "We must carry on, friends."

Archer felt uneasy. In all his years of knowing Elora, she had never acted like this.

"Up or down?" Al asked timidly.

"Down." Elora replied, tugging on his hand.

"How do we get down -" As he began to ask, Ed's question was answered for him.

Elora pulled Al's hand and jumped.

"NO!"

The group was at the edge instantly, and peered over, scared of what they'd see. Elora and Al were floating downwards, serenely gliding safely towards the bottom.

"What the hell is going on?" Salinger asked, his voice shaking.

"Lor's acting so...strange."

Archer emptied himself of fear, gave the drop one last sweeping look, and leaped off after his sister. He felt like he did when he visited the gate. Floating softly to a new destination. Alchemy was definitely in this caves.

Amelia and Salinger held hands and jumped together, closing their eyes tight, Nina dropping off after. Farah and Ed looked at each other and nodded, before stepping out into the dark and falling together, chasing their friends.

Brilliant, swirling arrays of colors reflected off the walls as they descended downwards into the darkness. Everyone else gave screams of mild fright, mixed with awe as they looked around wildly. Elora giggled, tightening her hold on Al's hand. It was like they were going down a slide, twisting and turning, looping around until finally the end of the tunnel appeared.

A circular cave, filled with ice. Jagged icicles surrounded the area, some as tall as trees. Elora and Al landed gracefully, the others landing awkwardly on their rears or sides, groaning from the mild pain that throbbed its way up their bodies from the impact.

"We're almost there." Elora whispered to her friends.

"Lor, what's wrong with you?" Al asked, trying to escape her grasp.

Elora tightened her hold, pushing forward into the ice, pulling Al behind her.

The ice swooped into a narrow tunnel, and Elora led the way, almost as if she was being called there. The group huddled together, hoping that they were going to the right way, hoping that Elora was alright. The tunnel opened up into a wide and spacious room. The cavern ceiling rose hundreds of feet into the air. The ground stopped shortly from the entrance, and all that was left was a narrow walkway out into the middle of the room. The floor dropped off deep into a dark abyss on either side.

Elora finally released Al's hand, but she stepped in his way, forcing him onto the narrow walkway, unable to turn back.

"It's there, in the middle of the room!" Amelia cried, pointing to the small patch of ice that was at the end of the walkway.

A brilliant black stone rested on a tall pedestal, shimmering in the reflected light. Alphonse swallowed hard, looking at the walkway, seeing the cracks in the stone and feeling his heart thundering against his ribcage in a violent manner. Taking a slow step forward, Al felt Elora's hands on his back, shoving him forward a bit. He staggered and nearly slipped, throwing a glare at her, only to go rigid. Something wasn't right. Her eyes were hollow, almost like that of a soulless doll, and she had a creepy smile twisting her once pretty features.

"Elora?" Al muttered, staring into her face.

She stepped forward, and brought up her hand, wind rippling in from outside. It blew around the cave, blowing against Alphonse, and he tripped and fell. Grabbing onto Elora, he steadied himself.

"Grab her!" Al shouted at Archer and Ed, who ran forward and held her tight in their grasps.

"What's wrong with her?" Amelia asked, fear in her voice.

"I think it has something to do with this cave. It's been effecting her ever since we got here. Keep a hold of her while I get the stone." Al turned back around, facing the narrow walkway.

Al held his arms out to keep his balance, taking slow and precise steps so not to slip and tumble into the dark abyss down below. He could hear the sounds of Elora struggling against Archer and Ed, cursing them in a tongue they did not understand. Her voice was coming out in strange rasps. Shivering, Al closed his eyes to try and regain his composure.

Retrieving the Dragon's Heart was top priority at the moment. Once he got it, then he could focus on what was wrong with Elora.

The longer he walked, the farther the stone seemed to be. He could feel himself giving away to fear, he had to conquer it. He stepped forward and slipped on the ice, he quickly steadied himself, clutching his stomach.

"Alphonse, are you okay!" Ed shouted.

He listened to his brother's voice, pulling comfort from the familiar sound. "I-I'm fine! Just slipped a bit! Almost there!"

He broke out into a run, ignoring the ice, ignoring his fears. The second he let go of himself, forgetting the thought of death, he slammed into the pedestal, and grabbed onto it to make sure he didn't fall.

"Yes!" he celebrated.

Panting, Al reached his hand out, touching the stone. It reacted immediately, the black surface illuminating with green energy that crackled and sizzled like lightning in his hands. Al took a deep breath, before slipping the Dragon's Heart stone safely into his pocket, zipping it and turning to rush back down the walkway.

He made it, stepping out from the walkway, and letting out a loud sigh. It was over, they were going home. Elora elbowed Archer in his face, and he fell back, losing his grasp onto his sister.

Ed fought to keep hold but she wriggled free, knocking him back beside of Archer on the ground. She hopped back, landing in a crouch with her coat fluttering around her frame. She smirked, looking up at the group from under her bangs with her hollow eyes.

"Well done. My Lord shall be pleased." she said, her tone icy.

Al shoved the stone in Archer's hand, who stowed it away in the black satchel. The group back away from Elora, falling back into the cavern.

"What's wrong with her?" Farah cried, hands shaking.

"She's lost her freakin' mind!" Ed snapped.

"Nina, help me hold her! Ed you grab her legs!" Archer ordered, walking forward, Ed by his side.

"Nina?"

He turned around, the girl had disappeared.

"Dammit! Where is she?"

Archer felt his side, feeling something missing, "The black satchel is gone!"

"...No, she wouldn't." Amelia shook her head in disbelief.

Archer's breaths became heavier, he violently shook his head. This wasn't happening. Clenching his fists, he turned to run after the girl, leaving the others to deal with Elora.

"I'll go after Nina, you calm Elora down!" he shouted back at them.

"Easier said than done!" Salinger shouted, as Elora sent him flying against the wall. "Dammit!"

Archer tore his gaze from the sight, pushing himself to run faster. "NINA!"

He broke out into the large cavern from which they came. He looked upwards, seeing the blond Russian climbing a rope back up to the entrance. He couldn't see who was at the other end.

"Leave me, Archer!" she shouted at him.

He was almost in tears, "What are you doing! Why!" .

"None of your business! Go away!" Nina shouted, climbing farther to the ledge.

Archer snarled, summoning enough fire in his hand to make a fireball. He aimed it at the rope, severing it. Nina screamed as she began to fall rapidly, Archer springing forward and catching her in his arms.

She punched him the face, knocking his glasses off his face.

She sprung forward out of his arms, and shouted up at the ledge, "I'll toss it up there, be ready to catch it!"

Evelyn's stony face peered over the edge, "We're coming down there."

"You didn't!" Archer screamed.

Nina didn't look at him as he snatched his glasses from the snow. His bloodied face was streaked with tears he tried to fight, but he couldn't. The pain inside was too deep, too raw to hold back.

"You were our friend! We trusted you, Nina!"

Nina didn't reply, her grip on the stones became ever tighter.

"I trusted you!" Archer hissed.

Evelyn landed behind her gracefully, three men in her wake.

"Idiot boy." she smirked, taking the satchel from Nina's hand.

Fury shot through Archer, he gathered up a stream of fire, whipping it around like rope, throwing it Evelyn, who doused it with conjured water from the ice.

"Please just give him back to me." Nina whispered.

Evelyn gritted her teeth, before pulling one of the men forward. He looked beaten beyond repair, his hair a white blond.

"Nina!" he managed to say through bloodied and split lips.

"Father! Oh father, you look terrible." she collapsed, falling to her knees in front of him.

"You've been so useful to us Nina. Gathering the children, fooling them, leading them on. Eckhart, our departed leader, she had a scuffle with Arthur four years ago, and found his stupid little alchemy text on his person, he of course got it back later, but she discovered the stone method, and it was to be our back up plan. But, we knew the 'recipe' wasn't complete, so we never pursued it, until Liam came to me telling me that his foster children had left to find the stone. I'm glad I overheard Elora and that boy talking of Russia, I knew you'd be just the person for the job. Your father and I have a history. You led us right to their final destination, and now we will be the ones who go to Stone Henge and travel to Shamballa." Evelyn hissed through parted lips.

"Digging through that rock slide was a pain." Finnigan sighed.

"There isn't a Promised Land! Just like Eckhart, you're deluded by myth from the Thule Society!" Archer shouted. "There isn't a Shamballa!"

"Shut up boy! Your stupidity is unfathomable. You don't know anything." Finnigan struck him in the face.

"Archer!" Ed's voice found his ears.

Archer turned to see the group running out of the tunnel, an unconscious Elora in his arms.

"We had to knock her out, we couldn't restrain her." Salinger informed him.

"Father?" Amelia gasped, pointing to Liam.

"Evelyn!" Ed growled, placing Elora carefully on the ground.

"She betrayed us!" Archer pointed to Nina.

"Archer, you have to understand, they were going to kill my father." Tears fell down Nina's eyes, as she tried to grab onto Archer's pant leg.

"Going to?" Evelyn smirked.

Nina jerked her head back just as Liam cocked the pistol in his hand, it aimed at the back of Rupert's head. Farah gasped, tears filling her eyes as she shook her head.

"Father! No -"

A loud bang cracked into the air, and Rupert fell to the ground, crimson staining the white.

"WHY? I DID WHAT YOU ASKED!" Nina screeched, throwing herself onto her father's lifeless body.

"We don't play fair, child." Evelyn grinned.

Liam turned the gun to Nina, but Amelia lunged herself between them. Her honey-hazel orbs were cold, locked on her father as she ground her teeth.

"Amelia, get out of the way!"

"Murderer!" Amelia screeched. "You won't hurt Nina!"

The gun shook in Liam's hand, he blinked, before he pulled the trigger. The bullet shot right through Amelia's arm. She howled in pain, grabbing it and pulling it closer to herself. Blood smeared all over her clothes, seeping out of the wound.

"Now get out of the way before it's your head!" he bellowed.

"I'll kill you!" Salinger snarled, lunging forward.

He snatched Liam's hand, knocking the pistol out of it, it flying into the air. Salinger managed to get a good punch in, disorienting the politician before he was sent flying across the ground by Finnigan.

"What are we doing? There's six of us and three of them!" said Ed, him jumping forward to Finnigan.

Farah joined him, dodging a bullet from Finnigan's own pistol.

"We're doing it this way?" Evelyn sighed, grabbing Nina and holding a knife against her throat.

"Nina!" Archer cried, pissed at himself for caring.

Ed and Farah backed away from Finnigan, who readied his pistol, aiming it at Al.

"Hand me Elora." Liam demanded.

Al shook his head, holding her tightly against his chest. "No!"

"Al, don't!" Ed snarled, trembling violently. "Do as he says, or you and Nina'll die!"

Evelyn pressed the knife to Nina's throat, tiny droplets of blood began running down her neck. She didn't even struggle, the loss of her father taking all fight out of her.

"Don't do it, Al." Archer whispered.

Nina looked up from behind her bangs, more hurt than ever, "...Archer."

"I won't die for a traitor." Archer whispered, hand clenched at his side. "However..."

Fire exploded around Finnigan, sending him flying and disarming him from the blast Archer sent flying. It startled Evelyn, and Amelia snatched a shard of ice, striking the woman's frail wrist and knocking the knife into the air. Ed clapped his hands, creating a wall of ice between Evelyn and them. Archer snatched Nina's arm, a little more forceful than necessary, and forced her to her feet.

"Walk! You aren't helpless!" Archer snapped.

"A-Al... what's...going on...?" Elora moaned, eyes fluttering open.

"Elora?" he gasped.

She clutched her head, "Who hit me?"

"Quick, knock her out again before she goes batshit crazy on us again!" Salinger exclaimed.

"Thank you for answering my question, Irvine." Elora hissed.

"We've go to get out of here! Now!" Ed shouted.

"But they have the stones!" Al shouted.

The wall of ice melted instantly, Evelyn cracking her knuckles.

"Give me the girl, and I won't kill you all." she seethed.

"What is she talking about? How'd they get the stones? Where are we?" Elora asked.

Ed stepped in front of Al and her, hands positioned to clap together.

"Wanna try and kill me? Go ahead! I've faced far worse than some out of her rocker bitch!" Ed snarled.

Evelyn snapped her fingers, and a sharp icicle rose out of the ground, almost slicing Ed in half.

"Don't underestimate me!"

"That's it!" Ed transmuted his arm into his blade, lunging forward. "I'm sick of this! I'm going to end this, once and for all!"

Amelia ground her teeth, "Archer, look out!"

Archer whirled, transmuting a spear out of the stone beneath him into a javelin, and meeting Finnigan head on in combat. Salinger was muttering to himself as he riffled through his bag, looking for something, and Farah was trying to keep pressure on Amelia's wound.

Elora struggled in Al's arms, "Al, put me down..."

"No! You're the one they want!" He hissed.

"Please, Al... put me down..." Elora begged. "Please..."

"No!" He tightened his hold.

She cupped his face, "Please, Alphonse... if you love me, you'll put me down and let me fight... let me save my family..."

Al released her even though every part of his body told him not too.

"Let's fight. Together." She reached out for his hand.

Blinking, he took her hand. Elora dragged him over to the snow, getting down on her knees.

"Transmutation circle, quickly!"

Together, they drew a large circle large enough for the two of them to stand in. Elora looked at him and smiled, before the two closed their eyes, clapped their hands, and summoned every bit of strength they could muster. A fierce whirlwind filled the room, icicles and snow swirling in it violently, heading straight for Finnigan and Archer.

"ARCHER, MOVE!" Nina screamed.

Archer leaped away from Finnigan, landing softly beside Nina. Finnigan whirled, only to become immobilized seconds before the whirlwind enveloped him. Thousands of jagged icicles pierced his body, blood spraying the walls before his limp corpse hit the ground, broken and mangled. Salinger gave a cry of victory, pulling out something small with red wires.

"Where the hell did he get a bomb!" Ed shouted.

"What do you think we were doing while we waited for you guys?" Amelia said with a smirk.

Salinger grinned from ear-to-ear, turning and setting it against the far corner.

"One minute!" he shouted, snagging Amelia by her waist and dragging her behind a set of boulders.

They emerged seconds later, both running hastily, "Get down!"

"No you don't!" Evelyn screamed, "You've lost me my servant!"

She belted forward, clapping her hands and pressing them against the cave walls, separating herself from the blast. The cavern wall exploded, fire erupting and filling the entire cave. Ed had just barely made a stone dome to cover the group before the blast, saving their lives.

"Nice." Al muttered, glaring at Salinger.

Salinger twiddled his fingers, "Maybe added a bit too much boom..."

"Whatever, let's just get the hell out of here." Ed screamed, dismantling the dome with a clap of his hands.

"But the stones!" Archer reminded him.

"We don't have a choice!" Farah pulled his arm.

"Come on Nina." Amelia helped the Russian up.

"Leave her." Archer said with malice.

Elora snatched his arm, "You can be ticked later! Just now, Amelia and I did a lot of work saving her ass!"

"Fine! Let's go!"

"I'm sorry..." Nina whispered.

"Save it!" Archer replied shortly, before they all went to run for the exit.

Elora slowed as the others darted out, Ed poking his head back into the room.

"Elora, move it!"

"Coming!" She shouted, turning to follow, only to give a scream as Liam snatched her leg. "Oh, hell no!" her boot connected with his face, causing him to gasp and release her. "By the way, you're a bastard and don't deserve to have an amazing daughter like Amelia! She's the one who won the heart of the people, not you!"

"Little ungrateful brat! If it wasn't for me you and that kid would've been out on the street!" Liam clenched his mouth, reaching out to grab her again.

Elora kicked him in the face again, "I hate you! You didn't do anything! Arthur was the one who raised us, and what did you do? You turned around and betrayed him and murdered him! I hope you enjoy rotting in Hell, you egocentric asshole!"

"Grab her Liam!" Evelyn roared.

Elora clapped her hand against the wall, going to arm herself, when she felt something heavy strike her from behind. She crumpled forward, everything going black.

"It's time to leave." Evelyn smirked, satisfied.

She clapped her hands on the cavern wall, a spiraling staircase made of stone jutting out and leading up to the cave entrance.

"To Shamballa!"

**

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ETP: …ONE CHAPTER LEFT!

**PK: It's finally here! The end, the finale, the twist of fate!**

**ETP: Find out what happens in the conclusion of "Silent All These Years", next chapter!  
**

**PK: Reviews, please! :D**


	20. Chapter 20

**ETP: At long last, the conclusion has arrived…**

**PK: Thanks to all the reviewers and readers who have stuck with us thus far! Hope to see you at the sequel!**

**Disclaimer: We do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

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Chapter XX

Equivalent Exchange

"How could you let her be the last to leave! How could you, Brother!"

Ed sat up in the snow, clutching his jaw and staring at his pacifist brother with wide eyes. Al was panting heavily, shaking violently. He went to lunge for Ed again, but Salinger managed to grab Al and pull him into an arm lock.

"I thought she was right behind me." Ed said quietly. "Not much we can do now about it. Evelyn has her, and they're on their way to Stone Henge with the stones and Elora."

"Dammit!" Al screamed.

"What are we going to do? It's over. They're going to use the stone, and we're going to be stuck here." Amelia lamented, "They've got my sister!"

Archer sat against the stone wall, slamming his fist into the ice.

"You..." He lifted his head, pinning Nina with the scariest glare any had ever seen cross Archer's features, "This is all your fault!"

"...Archer, I'm sorry... I couldn't let them kill my father." Nina murmured, facing away from him.

"They were going to kill him either way. What else would you expect, making a deal with devils like them?" Archer spat. "My sister's life is at stake now, all that we've worked for, lost! You're the reason everything has turned out like this! Tell me, Nina! Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now for costing us everything!"

"ARCHER!" Amelia boomed, glaring down at the younger boy, "Don't ever say something like that again. What is wrong with you? You would have done it too if it was Elora they had taken."

Archer opened his mouth to retort, but shut it quickly, realizing at once that Amelia was right. He was still so angry at Nina, angry at what she had done to him – to everyone. He regretted how he handled the situation. Nina had just lost her father, and he was acting like an ass.

"Everyone, take a deep breath. Going at each other's throats isn't going to save Elora or stop Evelyn." Salinger said, holding up his hands. "Farah, how's Amelia's shoulder?"

"She'll have some scarring, but other than that, everything seems fine." Farah replied.

Salinger sighed in relief, "Good. Alright, we need to get out of this cavern. If we're going to save Elora, we need to get to Stone Henge before Evelyn."

"How do you suppose we do that?" Ed demanded.

Salinger glanced at them, "Believe it or not, I do have my own connections. Amelia, don't you have an uncle or something in Moscow?"

"Uncle Alexander! He was friends with my father in the war, but after Father started acting strange, they lost touch. Why do you ask, Irvine?"

"Doesn't he have a couple of old airplanes?"

Nina looked at him as if he was insane, "You're not seriously considering flying there, are you?"

Salinger grinned, "I can pilot. From all the stories Ed told us, so can he. I'm pretty sure we can all squeeze in."

"We'll drop Nina off at her house." Archer announced, "Then head to Amelia's uncle's and fly to Stone Henge."

"I'm not sure if this is a good idea." Farah detested.

"We have to save Elora."

"But this could be suicide." Nina agreed with Farah.

"You aren't coming." Archer said stubbornly.

"Fighting about it is just going to give them more time to get there before us. If you want to stay here, then fine!" Salinger turned to face the black, ready to depart forward.

Ed was muttering to himself, shaking his head as he rifled through their bags of supplies. Salinger paused, hands on his hips. He glanced over at the older alchemist, raising a brow in question.

"What are you doing with my bombs and stuff?"

"Making something that will get us to Moscow a lot faster than trekking through tundra wasteland and you lot murdering one another before we get there!" Ed snapped. "Now shut up and lemme think!"

Ed grabbed a few more wires and pieces of metal, before he began transmuting. He jerked his head toward the few fallen trees a small distance away.

"Somebody, get one of those trees over here! A large one, preferably!"

"I'll do it!" Salinger volunteered, running forward.

Al quickly followed after the other male, the two of them bringing the tree over to Ed as he instructed.

"Okay, Al, transmute that into the largest sled you can! One that can hold all of us!"

Archer raised an eyebrow, "Just what are you doing, Ed?"

"Stop asking questions!"

Sweatdropping, the redhead watched as Al moved to transmute. He stepped forward, aiding his friend. Soon they had a decent sized sled, one that could seat all of them if they sat in pairs. Ed was grinning wildly, muttering to himself and cackling madly. He rubbed his hands together once he made a few more adjustments.

"Salinger, help me carry this to the back of the sled!"

Salinger rushed forward, helping lift the large metal device Ed had invented, and Ed nodded at Al and Archer.

"I need rope, and a lot of it! Transmute it; grab whatever's in our equipment, just hurry, would ya?"

Archer and Al grabbed the all the sacks they had brought with them, they gathered around and swiftly clapped their hands together, turning the bags into a long piece of rope.

"Will this do?" Archer asked, holding it up.

Ed grinned, "Perfect! Now we need to secure this to the sled." He rapped his metal knuckles against the device.

The boys grunted and went to work. Ed glanced at Nina, Farah, and Amelia.

"Can you girls take this leftover rope and cut it in lengths enough to strap across our waists?"

He tossed the rope at Farah, "As you wish, Edward." she and Amelia started to do as they were instructed.

Nina was watching them all as if they were truly insane.

"Ed, it's secure!" Salinger announced.

"Alright, now we just need the ro – thanks, Nina."

Nina was holding out all the rope, enough lengths for each of them.

"Alright, everyone, grab whatever we absolutely need and get on the sled!" Ed ordered. Take a rope and hold it across your waists. I'm going to go around and transmute it."

"Alright!" the group agreed in unison.

"Get in pairs!"

Al latched onto Farah, Salinger and Amelia swiftly grabbing each others hands. Nina glanced at Archer, who unwillingly grabbed hers, a tad too firmly.

"Archer –"

"Nina, I know you're sorry. I apologize for what I said, I could never hurt you, but that doesn't mean I forgive what you did." he muttered.

Nina looked away, "I understand."

Ed finished transmuting the ropes, them taking on the form of crude seatbelts and holding them securely in place. He hoped on the back of the sled, securing himself before he looked at the device.

"Please work..." he muttered.

It roared to life, before the sled lurched forward.

"Brother, did you make a motor!" Al shouted, screaming as they went speeding forward.

"YUP!" Ed cackled.

The sled sped into the night, spewing snow on either side.

"We should make this ten mile trip in half an hour!" Ed announced gleefully.

"Don't jinx us, please!" Amelia cried over the wind.

Salinger whimpered, "There goes all my babies..."

"Irvine, get over it! They were just bombs, and do I have to remind you they nearly burned us to a crisp earlier!" Amelia snapped at him.

Salinger hung his head, still mourning over the loss of his beloved explosives.

Archer shook his head at the two, before glancing over at Nina, who was crying into her shirt, holding tightly against her seat belt.

"Did you ever care for us?" he asked.

"I didn't want too, not at first." Nina hiccuped, "But I grew close to Amelia in the month we waited for you, and then you arrived, and I felt so drawn to you. Betraying you guys was the hardest thing I've ever done. You have to understand it was for my father, and he died anyways."

"You shouldn't have been forced to make such a choice. Evelyn will pay for everything she's done. Liam will die for killing the only person who was anything like a father to me."

Nina looked at him, tears leaking from her emerald eyes. "One day, I hope you can learn to forgive me. Things changed... I changed. Because I met you, Archer. You were the first person other than my father who has ever been able to see the real me... that scared me, but at the same time it comforted me. I'm truly sorry for all that I've done."

"Prove it by helping me save my sister and stopping Evelyn."

"I will. You can count on me." She nodded, wiping away her tears.

"You two done?" Ed shouted over the whipping wind.

"Yes!" Archer yelled back.

"Ten more minutes!"

"Then it's the hill." Salinger groaned.

Nina frowned, "Actually, there might be a way for us to go around another route! It'll take us straight to the city limits!"

Archer's auburn locks whipped around his face wildly as he turned around to meet the gold eyes of Ed, silently asking if they should trust her. Ed sighed and looked at Nina, seeing she too had turned around. Her eyes were pleading.

"Alright, fine! But if you double-cross us again, don't expect anyone to save your ass this time!"

"You know why I did it the last time, and then they betrayed me and killed my father. I never wanted anything to do with them in the first place!" Nina growled.

"Then why are you doing this now?" Ed asked.

"I have nothing else." She said strongly, holding her own.

Ed was quiet, "Reasons put aside, you still betrayed us and we're paying for it. That was just a warning. I understand why you did it – doesn't mean I like it at all. Elora means more to me than anyone realizes, and I'm not going to lose her!"

"I won't. You can count on me!"

Ed closed his eyes for a split second, "Everyone, lean to the right!"

The group did as they were instructed, the sled lurching into the thicket. Ed had to keep shouting directions for them to lean, to weave around the trees, but the route they were going was on level ground. After about fifteen minutes of maneuvering, they reached the city limits. Ed cursed, realizing he didn't put a brake on the sled and he didn't have a way to turn off the motor.

"Guys, get ready for impact! Tuck and roll!" Ed shouted, "Cut your seatbelts and get ready!"

"OKAY, IT'S OFFICIAL! HE'S FREAKIN' INSANE!" Salinger shouted.

The group obeyed once more, quickly cutting their belts and rolling away from the sled. It traveled down a street, crashing into the side of a building.

"Is everyone okay?" Ed called.

"GUYS, THAT WAS AWESOME!" Salinger popped up from a snow bank as fire and smoke filled the air. "LET'S DO IT AGA – OW!" He rubbed his head, "Why'd ya hit me, Farah?"

"Because, your idiocy is giving me a headache." Farah muttered darkly.

"C'mon, Uncle Alexander doesn't live far from here!" Amelia exclaimed.

"Let's just hope he's compliant." Archer observed.

"He loves me, and if it's to save Elora, he shouldn't have any issues at all." Amelia replied, as they started to run down the snowy streets. "We need to hurry!"

The group skidded in the icy snow, slipping and sliding as they ran after Amelia, who led the group through the snow coated streets. Amelia stopped abruptly in front of an old brick house, gasping for air.

"Ritzy." Ed said as he climbed the stairs towards the oak doors.

"Uncle Alexander, it's Amelia! Please, open up!"

The door opened and a man with squinty blue eyes and brown hair answered the door. Amelia embraced him, and the two talked quickly. Amelia explained the situation briefly, and Alexander asked no questions. He simply motioned for them to follow him through the house, and to the backyard. He led them to a tarp covered area, and he pulled the tarps off, revealing three airplanes. They were old, but still looked sturdy and flyable.

"Be careful, my dear." Alexander said.

Amelia kissed his cheek, "I will. I love you and thank you so much!"

"I love you too! Best of luck to you all! Now hurry!"

Archer hesitated, "We have two pilots and three planes."

"I can fly one." Amelia stated.

"Alright, let's move out, people!" Ed ordered. "C'mon, let's go!"

Salinger climbed into one plane, Ed and Al moving into another. Farah was climbing into Amelia's.

"Nina, Archer, you two are just gonna have to squeeze in Salinger's plane!" Ed shouted.

Archer hesitated, looking from Amelia back to Salinger before hoping into his plane. Nina followed him close behind, almost sitting on his lap. She shifted and squirmed, trying to find a position comfortable for both of them that wasn't too awkward. Their gazes met, and Archer cursed mentally at the heat that flooded his cheeks. Her own cheeks tinged pink before she quickly looked away, just as the blades were starting to spin.

"I'm a little rusty, but don't worry!" Salinger shouted.

"Trust me, I will!" Archer groaned, afraid for his life.

Ed's plane was the first to take off into the snowy night, with Amelia's shortly after his. Salinger gave a war cry as their plane, miraculously, lifted off the ground and followed. Archer peered over the side, feeling his stomach flip as the houses and lights started to become specks. Nina peered as well, golden locks dancing in the wind.

"Kind of... pretty." she whispered.

Archer nodded, "Yeah..."

Her hand found his, and she quickly drew it back, blushing harder than ever. Archer sucked in his breath, before taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. She looked back at him, surprised by the tender smile that crossed his features.

"We're coming for you, Elora!" Ed shouted into the night.

The three planes disappeared amongst the stars, heading deep across the night sky.

* * *

Evelyn stepped onto the soft ground, tugging an unconscious Elora out of her own plane. Liam had been the driver, getting them to Wiltshire on the fastest route he knew. Hopping out of the plane behind Evelyn, he patted the old machine, before turning to his cohort.

They both shared a look and crooked smiles before setting off down the small slope towards the high stone structures in the distance. The bright green grass had been coated with a dust of snow, leaving Stonehenge to stand out even more amongst the white. It's inner stone structures towered twenty-six feet into the air, while it's outer circle stood at ten. It was quite an ominous sight.

Elora moaned in her unconscious state, Evelyn dragging her over to one of the stones and propping her against it. The young girl's legs angled out, and her head hung forward, with her short locks brushing against her pale skin. Evelyn cocked her head to the side, running her fingers slowly down the side of Elora's face, examining her.

"You were such a good little puppet." Evelyn whispered against her ear, "Now... you die."

Liam was drawing the circle they would need in the middle of the ancient stones. He called out to his companion, to double check that each mark was precise and correct. The sky rumbled, a dark overture of clouds blocking out the sun. Once the circle was complete, Evelyn began to pull out the stones from the satchel. She pulled them out in order, placing the garnet at the twelve o-clock position, and moving around. The last stone to be pulled out was the Dragon's Heart, still emitting a green light and crackling like lightning.

Evelyn stepped to the middle of the circle, piercing cold orbs locking on Elora, who was positioned right behind the garnet. She moaned again, desperately trying to pull out of the darkness, her sixth sense going off and warning her of the danger she was in.

Evelyn held up the Dragon's Heart, and she began to chant the ritual Eckhart had taught her so long ago. The words were like a whisper in her ear, slipping passed her lips. The alchemy was flowing through her veins, the Dragon's Heart pulsating in her hand like a real beating heart.

It started to hover, the green lightning striking all the stones. They too began to hover, the circle beneath her glowing. The stones started to circle around in the air, picking up speed.

"The time has come! Now, the door shall open!" Evelyn shouted, her voice booming as the wind picked up. The clouds above them were starting to look as dark and red as blood. She sneered, extending her hand out to Elora. "Take the soul of the girl! Equivalent Exchange!"

Elora gasped, head flying back as empty amethyst eyes opened. Her fingers dug into the cold, hard ground beneath her as she writhed in agony, boots sliding against the grass as she flailed. She couldn't stand up, unable to move her body other than jerking in pain. Her chest felt as if it was being scorched by flames, before all of a sudden she felt cold and numb.

Empty inside.

The twelve stones met the Dragon's Heart in the middle of the sky, a flash of brilliant red light flashing above them, before a gate began to manifest beside the circle.

The gate was a shimmering gold, circular in shape, large enough to fit a tall building inside. Ancient alchemic symbols were carved in its doors, foreign to Evelyn. It shined a bright white, the light casting over her, and enveloping Stonehenge. It twisted and turned, the doors beginning to slowly open, casting even more light on the scene, forcing Evelyn to cover her eyes.

She had done it, the gate was here, she had succeeded.

"Liam, we've done it!" Evelyn turned around, but her smile was starting to vanish. "What are you staring at, you fool?"

Liam was gawking at Elora, who was starting to push herself against the stone, hands slipping against the rough granite and tearing away the skin at her palms. Blood smeared against the rock as Elora ground her teeth, managing to get her feet underneath her, her lifting her head. Rage was twisted across her pale features, eyes livid and dangerous.

"Evelyn!"

It was the only word that she could snarl, before she tried to take a step forward.

"There's no way she should be able to stand after the extraction!" Liam shouted.

Elora staggered, hitting the ground. Her body convulsed violently, before she heaved up blood. It stained the ground, splattering against the cracks and the grass. Elora forced herself back onto her feet, wiping the blood off her chin with her sleeve, before she shakily went to clap her hands together.

"Restrain her!" Evelyn ordered.

Liam moved swiftly, moving to grab the young adolescent. The moment he was close enough, he was sent flying to the ground as pure alchemic energy surrounded the girl in a swirling barrier of wind. Her hair whipped around her face wildly, eyes locked on Evelyn. The desire to kill was strong within the young girl.

Too far she had come, too much had she endured only to have all of their hard work stolen. Her soul was stolen! Not sacrificed!

"You've taken everything from me that I had left, Evelyn! Now, it's time for some equivalent exchange!" Elora shouted, clapping her hands and forging a javelin out of the earth beneath her feet.

The air echoed with a strange buzzing sound. Evelyn swiftly turned her attention to the skies, her hair was whipped around her face, dress billowing as three gray planes zoomed overhead, close enough to almost hit the stones. They sped around, turned back towards the structure and landed with rough bumps far off in the snow.

"Dammit! Liam, they're here! Where did they get planes?" she hissed, turning to her cohort.

"Alexander!" he cursed.

Ed jumped out of his own plane, tripping and falling into the snow as he did so.

"So much for an entrance." he mumbled, wiping the snow from his coat.

"Elora!" Al shouted, hopping out of the plane and landing gracefully in a crouch beside his sibling.

"We must leave, Liam!" Evelyn shouted, pointing towards the gate.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Elora snarled, blocking the gate. "Sorry, but my soul paid for this, and I'm the one who decides who stays and who goes!"

Evelyn clenched her fists, "I don't even know how you're walking around without a soul, but fine! You want it, you'll get it!"

She charged forward, jumping over and drawing a spear out of the stone. Elora twirled, meeting the attack head on and parrying the woman back. She was thrown back against the ground, Evelyn rolling back onto her feet and lunging again.

Liam went to reach into his coat and pull out his gun, aiming it on his foster daughter, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He whirled and the next thing he knew, he was getting punched in the face by Ed and Archer. He fell to the ground and rubbed his jaw, sending a glare at the duo. He jumped back and twirled his pistol, before pulling the trigger, barely missing Archer.

Ed snatched the barrel with his hand, "Go ahead. Fire it."

Liam pulled the trigger, the gun exploding in Ed's hand. He crushed the smoking metal, grinning as Liam scrambled backwards.

"Power of automail, the best in both worlds, made by Winry Rockbell!" Ed then transmuted his arm, "Time to meet your maker, bud!"

"Not so fast!" He pulled another pistol from his back and leaped onto one of the large rocks, "Do not take me lightly, Elric!"

Archer snapped his fingers, exploding the rock and sending Liam blasting into the distance.

Nina ran forward, Amelia on her heels, "Good job."

"Get back you two, you'll get hurt!" Ed exclaimed.

"Nina, Farah, Amelia, get through the gate now!" Elora shouted, ducking as Evelyn went to stab her. She did a cartwheel, landing on her feet and twirling her javelin overhead. "NOW!"

Amelia and Nina exchanged a glance, both agreeing that it was best to listen and not argue in such a situation. The three females ran past the battle, leaping into the light.

Elora landed in front of the gate, smirking. "What now, Evelyn? Kind of hard for you to get to Shamballa when it doesn't exist!"

"Shut up, you insolent brat! I should have killed your friends back at that cave!" she hissed, dodging Elora's spear.

"Barely escaped with your life, didn't you?" Elora grinned.

"Shut up, you little bitch!" Evelyn screamed.

Elora squeaked, narrowly missing the tip of Evelyn's spear as she jerked to the left. It tore through her sweater, and Elora hissed as she dodge rolled out of the way. She circled around the blond woman, aiming her javelin and swallowing hard. She couldn't keep fighting like this. Her body couldn't take much more.

"Al, help Elora, me and Archer will take care of Liam!" Ed commanded, blocking a blow from Liam's fist as he made his way back from the blast.

"Evelyn, weapon!" Liam boomed.

Evelyn clapped her hands and produced a long sword from the stone, throwing it to Liam.

"Edward, do you recall the night by the river! The stone sword!" Archer shouted.

Ed blinked and grinned, "Gotcha!"

Al sprinted to Elora, dodging Liam's sword as he went. He kicked at Evelyn's legs, trying to force her backward, but missed, and almost had her spear pierce his chest.

"You are no match for me, Elora. You are weak." Evelyn hissed.

Elora was panting heavily, "Then why am I still standing?"

Evelyn frowned, whipping her spear forward and catching it on stone. She cursed, turning around and blocking a swipe from Al, who had made his own spear.

"Two children... you think you have some odds now that you have a companion?" Evelyn sneered, "Tell me, boy, are you willing to lose your life for a girl who prefers your brother!"

"Shut up!" Al said with fury, bouncing forward, thrusting his spear into Evelyn's shoulder, "The next won't miss."

She grasped the spear, drawing it out of her shoulder and throwing Al into the air. He landed hard on his back, gasping as the air was knocked out of him. He managed to roll onto his knees and stagger back onto his feet. Elora screamed his name, running and lunging into the air, twirling the javelin overhead and aiming the blade straight for Evelyn's heart.

She realized her mistake a second too late, completely defenseless, and the tip of Evelyn's spear pierced her in the chest. Elora gave a choked gasp, slowly looking down at the spear impaling her chest, watching as the blood seeped through her sweater, staining the white material scarlet. It ran down the shaft of the weapon, falling to the ground in droplets.

"...E-Elora... Elora!" Al screamed as she was thrown off the spear, her body hitting him hard as he rushed forward and caught her. He hit the ground, cradling her in his lap and arms, brushing his hand across her face and through her hair. "Elora... Elora, please, say something!"

Her eyes slowly looked up at his face, before they closed.

Al didn't move for a full minute, before he gently settled her frame in the snow, her arm draping over her stomach. She was still breathing, but she had passed out. Very slowly, Al got to his knees, hand grasping his spear as he turned to face Evelyn.

"It won't be soon until she passes on." Evelyn smirked.

"Shut up." Al snarled, "SHUT UP!"

Evelyn's smile quickly deteriorated. His grip on the spear became iron tight, veins pulsing, with brown eyes furious.

"You. Will. Pay!" he shouted, racing forward, spear drawn, eyes dead set on Evelyn.

He moved quickly, so fast Evelyn could barely keep her eyes on him. She barely managed to block his blows, before she felt him pierce her in the side. Gasping and staggering, Evelyn dropped her spear, Al wrenching out the spear as he released a scream of complete agony.

"ALPHONSE!"

He jerked his head up, tears sliding down his face as he locked his brown gaze on his brother's gold. Ed swallowed hard.

"Take Elora, and go through the gate!"

It was his silent cry to keep his brother's hands clean of bloodshed.

Al hesitated, fury flying through him, he took one last look at Evelyn, before scooping Elora into his arms and jumping into the gate, light still irradiating from within.

"Foolish. You have lessened your odds." Evelyn grinned darkly.

Liam jumped back to join his partner, both grinning, obviously feeling as if they would be triumphant.

"I say we take them both out." Ed growled, feeling his own rage burning through him, fueling him.

Ed cursed softly, "Don't look now, but I think we're on a time limit!"

The gate's light was dimming, becoming less radiant. The doors were starting to inch shut.

"Dammit!" Archer yelled.

Ed wasted no time, he leaped forward, thrusting his sword towards Liam, who blocked it with ease, bring back his own weapon around and scraping Ed's chest. Archer followed him, snapping his fingers and engulfing Evelyn in flames. She formed a tornado of water, transmuting the droplets in the air, shielding herself from the fire.

"I've had enough of this!" Ed shouted, grabbing Liam from behind and holding him in an arm lock. "Archer, end it!"

Archer drew back his arms as if he was holding a bow, an arrow of fire formed in his hands, he released his hold, sending the flame forward, striking the man square in the face. Ed released the man, him hitting the ground face-first, dead.

"LIAM!" Evelyn howled, "No!"

Ed turned, moving to strike the woman, but she managed to blast him back. His back hit one of the rocks, him collapsing to the ground and gritting his teeth as he felt one of his ribs crack. Groaning, Ed managed to get onto his knees.

"Guys, we need to go now!" Salinger's voice shouted through the air.

Archer turned, completely forgetting that Salinger was even there.

Salinger was panting; looking completely battered himself, though neither knew how. He had a bomb in his hand, and was tossing it up and down, smirking. Archer nodded, dodging Evelyn's attack, rolling across the ground and managing to get to Ed. He pulled the blond's arm over his shoulder, trying to help Ed walk.

"I'll cover ya! Get through the gate!" Salinger shouted.

Evelyn looked at him, "Insolent fool! You have no alchemy! Dare you think you can stand up against me! Pathetic mortal!"

Salinger smirked; "Yeah, actually, I do think I can!" he turned to glance at Ed and Archer, hesitating in the doorway. "See ya on the other side, guys! Go, now! Make sure Lor and Lia's okay!"

"Be careful, Irvine!" Ed shouted, before the two lunged into the gate.

The doors were beginning to shut, only a crevice remaining. Salinger pitched the bomb, but Evelyn deflected it, it landing near the planes and detonating. Salinger screamed, being thrown forward from the impact. His hands landed on the transmutation circle, and his russet eye widened as the circle reacted to his touch. Evelyn stalked toward him, going in for the kill.

He looked down at the circle, then back at her, and then swallowed back his uncertainty. He felt strange, like something had been released inside of him, exploding within him and consuming him, filling him with an energy he had never felt before.

He clapped his hands and slammed them onto the circle, the earth shaking as sharp piercing spikes emerged beneath Evelyn's feet, impaling her completely. Blood rained down on him, spraying across his face. Salinger wiped his eyes and turned, lunging through the opening just before the door shut.

* * *

Salinger broke through the light, he felt calm as his eyes tilted towards the dawn. He had come through to the other side, entering a large field, filled with all sorts of flowers. He turned around; spotting the others all huddled around Elora's almost lifeless body.

He charged forward, joining them, holding his chest. He felt happier then he ever had before, he made it through the gate, but at the same time he was so scared, scared of losing Elora.

Farah was making quick work, having cut off the girl's sweater with Archer's pocket knife, and she working on the wound. Elora moaned loudly, screaming in pain as Al gripped her hand, pressing his lips to it, murmuring softly to her. Amelia immediately reached her hand out for Salinger, who crouched down and held her tightly as they watched. Nina was assisting Farah, and Archer was still holding Ed upright.

"Hey, don't leave us to our morbid thoughts... is she okay?" Ed whispered, voice cracking.

Farah was quiet for a moment, "A few inches over, and she wouldn't be. She will be fine." Farah finished tightening the dressing, Nina handing over a plain white shirt that they carefully pulled over Elora's head.

"Oh God, that's great news." Amelia breathed, smiling and leaning over to rest on Salinger.

The entire group breathed a deep sigh of relief. They had dodged a bullet and came through together, all eight making it through to gate.

They had won.

"Where... are we?" Salinger then spoke up, looking around the foreign land.

"Amestris. We made it... home." Al grinned, almost laughing.

"Salinger, you did it!" Archer congratulated him, "What happened?"

Salinger looked at his hands, "I...honestly don't know. I was fighting her, the bomb didn't work – blew up Alexander's planes by the way – and I landed on the circle. It started to glow and I think... I think I performed alchemy."

"I'm not surprised actually," Nina said, "Your father was an Amestrian alchemist, you had dormant alchemic abilities inside of you, they must have reacted to the Dragon's Heart when you touched the circle."

He grinned cheekily, "Hah! Not so useless now, am I?"

The group collectively sweatdropped.

"So... what part of Amestris are we in?" Amelia asked.

Ed sighed, peering around. "Dunno..."

"B-Brother..."

He turned, "Hmm? What is it, Al?"

Al was pointing up at the top of the hill, "Brother!"

Ed followed his sibling's pointing, feeling himself freeze as he recognized the foundation and pile of charred wood and the old oak tree by the dirt path.

"Home..." Al whispered, turning to look back at Ed. "We're home!"

Ed felt a sting of tears at the corner of his eyes as he stood, feeling his heart pound in his chest.

"We're finally home."

* * *

**ETP: And so concludes "Silent All These Years"!**

**PK: Reviews would totally be appreciated, thanks for sticking with us through this tale! Be sure to check out the upcoming second arc, "Haunted in the Rain"!**

**ETP: So long for now!**


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